Angel Grove: A New Beginning
by XxShawns Guardian AngelxX
Summary: Tommy has taken a substitute teacher job at his old high school in Angel Grove. So many memories,both good and bad. Watch how the past makes for a new beginning. Complete! Thanks to all who read and enjoyed it! You guys are awesome!Over 10,000 hits!
1. Chapter 1

"Alright class, take your seats. For those of you who don't know, your teacher Mrs. Ashley will be out for the remainder of the year. She is getting ready to have her first child and so she's going to need a long break from the hectic life of being a school teacher. So from here on out, I will be filling in for her everyday. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Dr. Oliver, but you can call me Dr.O."

Tommy wrote his name out on the dry erase board and let out a small sigh. He was not exactly thrilled to be there teaching. For starters, he was about to take on a bunch of raging lunatics whose hormones were probably working overtime. This he was pretty sure of. As soon as he walked into the school building, some of the girls started smiling and giggling at him. _If only they knew…_They were definitely not his type. He was way over the classified 'typical' Angel Grove chick anyway. He had crossed that road a long time ago and was pretty sure he wasn't going back. Then to make matters worse was the fact that he was teaching at his old high school again. _Angel Grove High._ He hadn't been around this neck of the woods in a long time. In fact, it had been almost ten years this day since he'd seen the old city again. Not much had changed in the years he'd been gone. Most of the teachers that taught him in high school were still around but age had caught up with them. Tommy's thoughts were interrupted by a student calling his name. "Uh…yes? Is there something you need?"

"Dr. Oliver, you look vaguely familiar. Did you happen to go to this school sometime ago?" asked a pretty blonde girl in the front.

"Uh…what is your name?" he asked frowning slightly. _This girl may be a problem..._

"It's Cassidy. I'm a reporter for our Angel Grove High Times. I was only asking because I know I've seen you somewhere before and I hardly ever forget a face, right Devin?"

"Uh…yeah, I suppose," Devin answered obediently.

"Well, yes, I did graduate from Angel Grove High a couple of years ago. I haven't been around this area since then." Tommy really didn't want to answer questions about his past. Not that his past was a bad thing; he had plenty of great memories, but more of the bad seemed to overshadow the good. Cassidy interrupted his thought once again with another question.

"So, Dr. O, would your first name happen to be Tommy?" At this point, everyone in the class seemed to be a little more alert and attentive. Tommy was starting to wonder why everyone seemed so interested in his life all of a sudden.

"Pipe down Cassidy. The man just got here and he can't even start class without you digging around like a reporter, fishing for info. If you want to write an autobiography, then do it on your on time."

"Oh shut up Ethan. No one asked you."

"Alright, alright. Everyone let's get back on task," Tommy said commandingly. "We have lots we need to cover today. If we can cover it all today then that means no homework for you." Most of the class seemed to like this idea and so they started getting ready to take notes. Cassidy looked displeased and started sulking as she took out her notebook and pen.

"By the way Cassidy, I'll entertain your questions after class, alright?" This seemed to get her attention. She stopped sulking and put her game face on to take notes. "Okay class, today we will begin the chapter on DNA…"

---

---

When class was over, Tommy assumed that Cassidy had forgot all about the questions so he proceded to pack his things and get ready to leave. Before he could get out the door, Devin handed him a note from Cassidy.

_Dr. O,_

_Meet me at the youth center_

_Today at 4pm. Please!!!!!_

_Cassidy_

"Did she say why she didn't want to meet right now? I really didn't plan on visiting the youth center today. I have plans," Tommy replied frankly. _What is the deal with this girl?_

"Sorry Dr. O, can't help you there. She tells me what to do and I do it. No questions asked," Devin replied. Tommy raised an eyebrow as Devin took off. _I wonder what that's all about. _He seriously debated on not showing up for their meeting. It was so short notice and he didn't think it rude to leave. Tommy let out a huge sigh. He knew that coming back to Angel Grove would be emotional. He also knew that he couldn't avoid the city forever. Tommy locked the classroom door and headed off in the direction of the Youth Center.

---------------------------

"You know, sometimes I wish I could just pound that Cassidy into oblivion!" shouted Ethan.

"Whoa, there. Calm down big guy. She was only doing her reporter thing. You should be used to it by now," Kira replied, rolling her eyes.

"Kira, you see her all the time. She's in like, half of your classes. That science class is the only class that I have with her. I just can't take it anymore. That chick's nuts!"

"Well, that may be, but you'll just have to get used to it bro." Ethan glanced at his friend Conner. Conner was always goofing off. He was also always defending pretty girls therefore, it was no wonder he was taking Kira's side on the issue of Cassidy. Ethan was about to get up and leave when Kira started nudging him in the ribs.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing that for?" Ethan huffed.

"Calm down brainiac. Look who just walked in." It was their temporary Bio teacher, Dr. Oliver and he didn't look too happy about being there. In fact, he looked almost lost even. "I wonder what he's doing here." thought Kira aloud.

"I don't know," said Ethan, "but I think I want to help him find his way."

* * *

**AN:** _Alright folks. This is my first attempt at a Power Rangers story. Just so you know, I am a big time lover of Tommy but if you can't handle him being OOC then leave now. He will be in canon most of the time but because he's older in this fic, it may not be what you'd expect. I was going to make this an M rated story but I have enough M rated things. In the meantime, review, flame, whatever you want. As long as it's not super rude, I won't report you or have you banned. Also, I posted this story once before but I am rewriting it. It was one of my first fics I started writing so the grammer was kind of rough. :P _


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, hey, hey Dr. O!!" Tommy turned around quickly and saw that it was only Ethan, one of the guys from his science class.

"Oh, hey Ethan. What's going on?"

"Oh nothing much Dr. O. My friends and I saw you when you walked in and you looked so damn confused."

"Hey, watch the language man. There are kids in here."

"Yeah, my bad. So why are you here? I got the impression in class today that you didn't particularly want to be here," Ethan inquired.

"Oh well, it's not that I don't want to be here. I love teaching. It's something I've always enjoyed. I just...look a little out of place because I haven't been around here in a while. That's all." _Damn...These kids are really observant. I'll have to do better at hiding my feelings..._ "Hey, you got the time? Cassidy is supposed to be meeting me here soon."

"What are you meeting her for? She's such a dork!" Ethan exclaimed.

"Hey man, you're one to talk." Conner had snuck up behind them and had been listening for a while now.

"I don't believe I know you," Tommy said twisting his face in confusion.

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry. My name's Conner and you're Dr. O." Conner stuck his hand out to shake Tommy's hand.

"Yeah, that's me," Tommy grinned.

"Dr. O, if you don't mind me asking, _are _you named Tommy?" Conner asked. Tommy let out a sigh. _What's with all these people and their questions?_

"Well, I…"

"DON'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION! I'M THE ONE ASKING ALL THE QUESTIONS. IF YOU ALL WERE SO DANG CURIOUS THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT LIKE ME!" It was Cassidy and she looked pissed.

"My bad girl," Conner said jokingly. "We were only taking a page out of your book. You know, being NOSY." Cassidy clicked her tongue making Ethan laugh.

"Anyway Dr. Oliver, can we go somewhere else PRIVATE. I don't want rude people interrupting our discussion," she said haughtily, cutting her eyes towards Ethan and Conner.

"Awe, come on Cassidy. You got us. We ALL want to know…right Kira?" Conner retorted. Sometime between all the fussing, Kira had come up and sat down at the bar behind Tommy's table.

"Awe, dang it. Okay, so yeah everyone's got me curious. So what's with the twenty-questions? Is Tommy supposed to be some 007 guy? No wait….maybe…maybe he's an ex-con that's plotting his revenge on all the Angel Grove losers," she replied. The sarcasm in her voice made Ethan cough loudly in a vain attempt to hold back a laugh. Tommy raised an eyebrow while Cassidy started to tap her feet.

"Well, Dr. O, are you going to answer or not?" Cassidy asked impatiently.

"Well…" That was all Tommy could say before someone called out his name.

"HEY, TOMMY! LONG TIME NO SEE!" Tommy turned around and spotted an old friend.

"Ernie?"

"Yep, it's me. I may be a little rough and wrinkled around the edges but I'm glad you at least remembered my name. Ha ha ha."

"Oh, man. Good to see you! You still working here?" Ernie slapped him a high-5.

"Yeah, but not as often as I used to. I have some new help now. As a matter of fact, she's in the back. I'll get her. I want you to meet her."

"Um…Ernie, look, it's not a…" but he was cut off by Ernie's shouting.

"Hey Haley, come out here. There's someone here I'd like you to meet." Tommy sat back down in his chair while the others just stared at him.

"So you are Tommy? I knew it!" Cassidy whispered.

"So what if he is? What's the big deal?" Kira asked curtly. Before Cassidy could answer, a tall brunette came from behind the counter and walked up to Ernie. "You called boss?"

"Haley, I want you to meet my old friend Tommy. Tommy, this is Haley."

"Oh hey!" She shook his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you and your old friends."

"Oh really?" Tommy asked slightly glaring at Ernie.

"Ah, well you know. I miss you and your old crew hanging around. There are lots of others that make up for it, but you guys were something else. You, Jason…"

"That's enough Ernie. That was years ago," Tommy said quickly cutting him off.

"So how are your old friends doing anyway?" Haley asked.

"I wouldn't know. Uh, listen guys, I really have to go. I got to make lesson plans for tomorrow and I need to drop by and see my uncle. Otherwise, he'll never let me hear the end of it."

"But Dr. Oliver, what about my…?"

"Later Cassidy. I really don't think it's that important." Tommy rose from his seat. "Kira, Conner, Haley, it was nice meeting you all. Ethan, Cassidy, see you guys in class tomorrow." Tommy grabbed his briefcase and walked out the door. He had made it around the corner and to his car when Cassidy called his name.

"DR.OLIVER!"

Tommy let out a sigh. _Does she ever give up?_ With an exasperated look, Tommy turned to face Cassidy. "What is it now? You already know my name so what else could you possibly need to know."

"Well, um…I heard from a very reliable source that…"

"Yes, Cassidy?"

"Well, you see…"

"WILL YOU SPIT IT OUT ALREADY?" Tommy shouted. He had already reached his breaking point. Can't she see that he did not want to concern himself with Angel Grove or anything anymore? "Cassidy, you're just standing there so I'm leaving. See you in class tomorrow." Tommy opened his door and started to get in. Before he could get both feet in his jeep, Cassidy blurted out something that made him freeze.

"Tommy, I heard that…that you…when you were in school…I KNOW YOU KNOW WHO THE POWER RANGERS ARE…or was", she said softly.

* * *

**AN:** _That Cassidy...She totally tripped me out on PRDT...LOL I just loved the way she had Devin under her complete control. It was laughable! Anyway, bet you're wondering how she knows? Review and I might tell you. _


	3. Chapter 3

Tommy sat there frozen for a second. Then he just stared at her. Is she pulling my leg? Tommy didn't say anything. He just closed the car door and proceeded to crank up. Before he could pull off, Cassidy shouted at him. "DR. OLIVER! I AM NOT KIDDING AROUND HERE! PLEASE TALK TO ME…I ONLY…" But that was all he heard, for he drove off he school grounds without looking back.

* * *

Tommy left the school grounds in a world of though. Was she…How could she know? There was no way she could know about his past as a ranger. After pondering this for a while, Tommy laughed it off. These young girls will do anything to get attention. Not that he was being arrogant. At 27 years old, he still looked pretty damn good. He still worked out twice a week in the gym; weight lifting and doing a bit of cardio work. He also kept his mind clear by steady practicing his martial arts, searching for new techniques to maybe teach others someday. He still had that same handsome, baby face that he had in high school and when he smiled, the ladies went-still do-go nuts over his dimples. The only major change about his looks was the shorter hair. He got rid of the long hair to make himself look more adult. Also, it didn't look very professional to have such long hair in the teaching profession and he was way past the long hair days.

Minutes later, Tommy's jeep skidded to a halt in front of his uncle Frank's house. His uncle must have done some serious renovating. The house looked nothing like it used to. Oh well, everything can't stay the same he thought to himself. Tommy got out of his jeep and was immediately greeted by his uncle, who was now standing on the front porch.

"HEY TOMMY! HOW'S IT GOIN'?" he asked as Tommy walked up.

"Oh, well, good I guess. Not much has changed I see…well, except for your house." His uncle laughed.

"Well, yeah, and the fact that we haven't any people trying to take over the city, or the world rather, anymore." There's always somebody who wants to rule the world, he thought. _That_, he learned years ago. "Take a seat Tommy." They were now inside the house sitting in chairs next to the kitchen. Tommy looked around the room. He never knew that his uncle was much of a decorator. There were beautiful paintings all around the small living room. The paintings were all classic ones such as a replica Mona Lisa and a famous painting by Picasso. The paintings seemed to blend in very well with the crème colored carpet, along with the many photographs of other family members. "Tell me uncle Frank, when did you become so big on decorating? You also added onto the house and I know that you've always been too lazy and damn proud to do anything like this." His uncle chuckled.

"Tommy, I'm glad you asked. I want you to meet somebody." Oh no, not another surprise. He didn't really have any surprises today, but what Cassidy said to him earlier was still nagging at his brain and he didn't feel like going through anymore shocks. A second later, a tall, slender, woman entered the room. She had long, blonde hair and light brown eyes. She was wearing overalls that had paint all over them. "Tommy, meet my new girlfriend Karone."

"Hi Tommy, it's nice to meet you. Sorry, I would hug you but I've been painting."

"Oh that's okay." Tommy studied her for a moment. She seemed nice enough and look pretty good. He was sure that she wasn't too much older than he. His uncle was now close to his 50's in age but age is but a number these days.

"Well honey, I am going to get back to painting the room." She walked up to Tommy and shook his hand. "It was nice meeting you Tommy. Please drop by again sometime. Your uncle has been raving about you all summer long." Then she strolled out of the room, Frank looking at her walk away in awe.

"Ahem."

"Oh, sorry Tommy. Yeah, that's my new girlfriend and I love her so much. She's the first woman I've been with since…"

"Yeah, I know. Let's not go there today alright. I've already had one hell of a day."

"Oh?" his uncle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, just…you know how high schoolers are."

"Yeah, do I know. Tommy listen, there's something you ought to know."

"Yeah, and what's that?"

"Well, I know you said that you didn't want anyone to know you were in town and…"

"Frank…"

"Now hold on a sec. I haven't told anyone that you were in town, but you aren't the only one "visiting" for the next few months. In fact, I hear a couple of your friends are moving back to this city any day now."

"Well, that doesn't really concern me, now does it?"

"Well, I thought it might…"

"Well, you thought wrong. Listen Frank, I need to be off. I have to finish unpacking a couple more things and then I have to make lesson plans for the class tomorrow."

"Okay then. But don't you want to know…"

"No, Frank, not really." Tommy grabbed his keys and walked out the door. Frank was still talking to him, but he was in no mood.

"Tommy…Tommy…TOMMY!" Tommy slammed the door of his jeep shut just as his uncle shouted a name. He couldn't hear what was said though and it was quite alright with him.


	4. Chapter 4

Tommy drove home in a fit of anger. _Why is everyone being so pushy?_ He did not want to think about the past. All he wanted to do was just concentrate on his job- nothing more and nothing less. _Who am I kidding?_ Even though he didn't really care who was moving back into town a part of him actually _did_ want to know. That way he could know what to expect and whether or not to avoid them. Oh well, he was pretty sure that nothing could possibly spoil his stay in Angel Grove right now. Years had past and most people in the city wouldn't recognize him anyway, especially since he had chopped all of his hair off.

A few minutes later, Tommy was pulling up into his driveway. What a day, he thought as he got out of his jeep. Before he could reach the doorstep to his condo, someone called out his name. _Oh gee..._ It was Cassidy. Tommy rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. _What did she want now?_ She had already lied to him once so he was in no mood for anymore of her girly tricks. "Look Cassidy, I am not in the mood to play games with you."

"I know, I know," she stammered, "but I just need to talk with you. I mean, don't you want to know…" But Tommy cut her off immediately.

"Cassidy, I am not interested in you. You are a student and I just don't think…"

"WHAT??!?! You think that I…?" she exclaimed, clearly disgusted with his comment.

"Well, I mean, I don't know exactly why you were lying to me but I just assumed it was teenage hormones and if that's the case…"

"You don't believe me do you?" she said softly.

"Well, I believe that some people will do or say anything for attention," he said shortly. Then he added, "Even for a good story." Cassidy stared at him in shock, mouth wide open. She frowned slightly, looking furious. "Well, Cassidy, I think you should go home now. I'm tired, it's getting late, and there's nothing more to say."

"You know Tommy, I had heard from…_said persons_ that you were generally a nice guy, but I beg to differ now."

"What? So I'm a bad guy because I called you out on a lie?" Tommy laughed. "Wow. Your values and priorities are all screwed up sweetheart."

"Tommy, please listen to me. I know what I said may have come out as…I don't know, but I was not just trying to get your attention. Well, I was," she winced, "but that's not the point. I'm not trying to get a news story. I just want to know some things."

"There isn't anything to know," he said coldly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to be going now."

"Guess I'll just have to make you listen to me," she snapped. Tommy laughed as he started to unlock the door to his condo.

"Really, well you do that then. Have fun talking to my house."

"Tommy…TOMMY!" she screamed.

"Go away," he said coolly. The key turned and he opened his door. "Have a nice night," he grinned.

"I bet a name like Kimberly Hart rings a bell," she mumbled. Tommy stood there with his back to her. He was still standing there when Cassidy walked off seconds later.

---

---

Kimberly Hart, a name Tommy had not heard or mentioned in almost 12 years. The thought of Kimberly did nothing but bring about mixed feelings. When he first moved to Angel Grove 16 years ago, he didn't know anyone. He had to leave his ex-girlfriend Maria behind in Nevada. He knew that long distance relationships never worked out and although he had cared for her deeply, he knew that they were both too young to be in love. He started Angel Grove high school a day later than the rest of the students. His parents had signed him up for the Angel Grove martial arts competition on the second day. They thought that it would be a good way to meet new people and get used to the way things were done at Angel Grove High. They were right of course. His first martial arts competition in Angel Grove proved to be a successful one. He easily defeated his first couple of opponents without breaking much of a sweat. During his final round, he had to face the best Angel Grove had to offer and his name was Jason. Jason Lee Scott.

He found out pretty quickly why Jason was the man. They went head to head for four straight rounds and ended up tying in the final round. He did not win, but he didn't lose either. After their fight, Jason approached him along with his entourage of friends and shook his hand. That's when he first saw Kimberly and was immediately taken by her beauty. She was so beautiful that he was sure she was just a dream. They shook hands and left. _Yep, that was a very good day._ He now knew that there was at least one nice guy around who shared his favorite interest and then…he knew there was a beauty to rare to be true. Tommy went home that very night actually excited to be starting at a new school.

He could recall getting to the school fairly early the next day, wandering the halls trying to locate all of his classes. It was there that he formally met Kimberly. She was standing at her locker gathering her books for her next class when two goons who called themselves Bulk and Skull were harassing her for a date. He stood and watched them for a moment before scaring them off with a few karate moves. She looked at him and smiled, thanking him for helping her out. She extended their hand and introduced herself as Kimberly. He almost didn't catch her name because he was lost in her pretty eyes. After that though, everything else seemed a little bit hazy and the stuff that he did remember, he wanted to forget. Tommy flung his keys over his kitchen counter and sat down in his olive green recliner. _How did she know about Kimberly_?

* * *

**AN: **_The history lesson was for those who didn't know. Review. _


	5. Chapter 5

Tommy arrived to school just as the bell was ringing for his class to start. When he walked in the room, most of the class was quiet and had already taken out their notebook and pens ready to take notes. Ethan waved somewhat enthusiastically as he entered the room.

"Dr. O, how's it going?"

"Oh, good morning to you too Ethan. Everything's fine."

"Oh," said Ethan. He did not sound so sure.

"Is…there…_supposed_ to be something the matter with me?" Tommy asked curiously.

"Uh…well, not exactly. Um…I'll tell you later Dr. O. It's nothing important."

"Okkkkkay." Tommy wondered what Ethan wanted to tell him. He looked around the room for Cassidy, but she was not there. Only right before he started to lecture did she walk in late.

"Sorry, Dr. Oliver. I had to see someone about a problem that I'm having."

"Um…that's quite alright." Cassidy took her seat and did not ask any questions the entire class period. In fact, Tommy didn't think she ever looked up from her notebook the entire class period.

When class ended, everyone left the room except for Cassidy and Ethan.

"Dr. O, we really need to talk." It was Cassidy...again. Ethan was standing next to her, looking a bit nervous.

"Cassidy, look, I…why are you being so persistent? What makes you think that…?" Tommy stopped in mid-sentence. He did not want Ethan to know the extent of his conversation with Cassidy.

"That's okay, Dr.O. I um…sort of overheard ya'lls conversation from yesterday evening. I know that's eavesdropping, but I was just as curious to find out why she was being nosier than usual. It's not everyday that she drills a substitute teacher."

"How did you…?" Tommy asked.

"Oh, well if you haven't guessed already, I'm a bit of a science/techno geek. I planted a small voice recorder in her coat pocket yesterday at the youth center. After you left, she came back in furious. I offered to take her sweater and nabbed the recorder back. It was easy as pie", Ethan boasted proudly.

"Well, if you did that then I suppose that I better watch my back. There's no telling what else you may do," Tommy winced.

"Um…I hate to be rude Ethan but I need to talk to Dr…"

"And no one is stopping you. By all means please continue." Cassidy shot him a look of utmost disgust but gave up in the end.

"Dr. Oliver, I apologize for yesterday. I know it was your first day and it was rude of me to pressure you so much, but now that you're here, I really want to ask you a few things."

"Look Cassidy, I don't know where you got the idea about me knowing the power rangers, but I don't. The rangers are no more. Sure they were big when I was in school, but that was years ago." Tommy grabbed his briefcase and proceeded to walk out the door.

"Dr. Oliver were you always this rude to Kimberly?" she huffed. Tommy walked back into the classroom and shut the door. He sat down at his desk and let out a sigh.

"Cassidy, what's with this Kimberly business? What do you think you know about some girl named Kimberly huh? Who is she supposed to be and what exactly is she supposed to mean to me?" He knew perfectly well what she meant. Kimberly was his old high school flame, although secretly, he could never just consider her a flame because there was a time where he just knew that they'd be together forever. However, shit happens and times change.

"Well, I know…um…a lady named Kimberly," she said happily.

"And that means what to me?" he asked quite rudely.

"Well, she…she used to talk about a certain Tommy all the time."

"To_you_?" Tommy asked skeptically.

"Well, not directly…well…it's a funny story really."

"Uh huh, let's hear it then."

"Okay well, my parents got divorced and my mom remarried and we moved to Angel Grove. I was 5 then," she said quickly. "Anyway, my stepfather already had a kid of his own but she was almost grown. Anyway, I met her once or twice. My step dad and she never really got along after his divorce. Well, I first met her when I was 5 and then again when I was twelve. She was so beautiful and sweet. She was real big into swimming and working out at the gym. Anyway, her name was Kimberly. The two times that I've met her, I spent about a month each time with her. I grew to like her a lot. Well, the second time I visited her, I met her boyfriend. He was really sweet and loved to work out as well. Some days we would all go hang out at the gym and just have a great time."

"Cassidy, does this story have a point," Ethan asked impatiently. Tommy was about to ask the same thing, but secretly, he was glad that Ethan did it for him. He washaving a hard time keeping up since Cassidy was talking 90 miles a second.

"I'm getting there!" she hollered. "Um…so anyway, one day I wasn't feeling really well so I stayed at home with her mom while she went out with her boyfriend. While they were gone, I decided to explore the house a little. I went down into their attic but it wasn't a normal attic. Theirs was so neat and clean...odd really," she said thoughtfully. "Anyway there were a bunch of boxes with books and newspapers in them. I like to read so I went through them. As I was reading through some of the newspapers, I came across a lot of ones with headlines about the power rangers and things like that. I read through those and was fascinated. I took a couple of the papers upstairs from the attic and then to my room to read some more. When Kimberly got home, she came into the room and saw me reading them. I asked her about the power rangers and everything. At first, she didn't want to tell me anything. She said the same thing you did about it all being in the past but I cried and cried until she told me some amazing stories about the power rangers. Now that I'm older, I was pretty convinced that all those stories were lies. I mean, after all, how would she possibly know about the rangers and the stuff that they did? Up until a few weeks ago, I overheard a conversation between her and my step dad. She was calling to tell everyone that she was moving back to Angel Grove because she got a job as a cheerleading coach and gymnastics trainer."

Tommy started to shift around in his seat. _Is it possible…_but his thoughts were drowned out by Cassidy speaking.

"So, I hung around to listen and that's when I heard my step dad ask her some things."

"What kinds of things?" Ethan asked. He was hanging off of his desk out of sheer curiosity.

"My step dad asked her all kinds of questions about whether or not she was sure about staying…yada yada yada. Well, I was about to leave because they ere so boring me to death but then he told her about you coming to town. Of course, I didn't know it was you but he said Tommy and you're the only mysterious Tommy that just moved here so I am assuming they were talking about you." Cassidy stopped talking for a second, for she was out of breath from talking so fast.

"You know Cassidy, as good as your story may be, assumptions are the mother of all…"

"Ethan," Tommy warned.

"Sorry, Dr.O. So what if he's the guy they were talking about? What's so special about him?"

"I heard Kimberly ask him when you were coming to Angel Grove and he said that you'd get here before she did. Well, I had pretty much, in my opinion, had heard about all I needed to know so I started to walk off but that's when I heard Kimberly shouting through the phone. Her exact words were…wait, I have it on tape." She started rummaging through here purse until she pulled out a small, blue tape recorder.

"WHAT? On tape?" Ethan asked incredulously. Apparently, he didn't think Cassidy was capable of such a thing.

"I'm a reporter you dumb ass. I keep recorders near the phone for interviews and such. On that particular day, it was completely accidental." Cassidy put the tape recorder on Dr. O's desk and pushed play.

"_Dad, look, I want to move back to Angel Grove. We think it's for the best. I got many job offers all around the state but Angel Grove has always been my home and that's where my heart truly lies."_ Tommy sat bolt upright in his chair. There was no doubt that voice was Kimberly's. She still sounded the same after all these years.

"_Well, if you're sure about it Kimberly, then I support your decision. So when's the wedding?"_

Wedding??? Tommy felt both anger and hurt. He just couldn't believe what he was hearing. Apparently it was written all over his face because both Ethan and Cassidy were staring at him; Ethan with a look of curiosity and Cassidy with a look of triumph.

"_Oh, well, we haven't set a date yet. We have to see how things are gonna work out with both of our new jobs."_

"_Yeah ok. You aren't getting cold feet are you?" Kimberly laughed._

"_No, dad, I'm not. I love him. He loves me. That's all that matters."_

"_Yeah you're right."_

"_Well, dad, I guess I better go. Make sure you tell Cas the good news. I can't wait to see her!"_

"_Oh…yeah, sure honey, but wait. One more thing. Kimberly, you know being back here will remind you of…certain things."_

"_Like what dad? I already told you that I am ok."_

"_But, I know about all those memories. With Tommy being here and both of your histories with the power rangers…"_

"_DAD! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WENT THERE! Look, seeing Tommy won't be a problem for me. He's probably married and moved on with his life just like me, ok. As for the power rangers, it's over ok. I am sure there will be some reminders here and there but for the most part, everything has changed and the power rangers is my past. Good bye dad." _

Cassidy grabbed the tape recorder and put it away. They all sat their in silence for a moment until finally, Cassidy spoke up.

"Dr. Oliver, I wasn't trying…I mean…When you came into class…You just looked so familiar. After you finally told me your name, I knew…who you were", she said softly. Tommy didn't say anything. He just sat their, lost for words.

"Tommy, I know that you're the guy she was talking about. She has a picture of the two of you holding hands at a beach somewhere at her mom's place. You had long hair then. Anyway, I just thought you should know that she's moving back here…I didn't want it to be a shock to you. As you can see, she already knows about you being here and well, you'll have enough to deal with when she gets here."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ethan asked.

"Nothing…It's nothing."

Tommy suddenly looked up. "No, Cassidy, go ahead and tell me. I mean, this was enough to drop on me…I'm barely swallowing this, but if there's more just tell me now while you have my full attention."

"Well…I…I am afraid to say…"

Tommy banged his fist on the table and Ethan jumped up.

"DAMMIT CASSIDY, JUST SAY IT!" Tommy yelled.

"Her husband…the guy she's marrying, used to be a good friend of yours," she mumbled softly.

"Oh, really?" he asked. "Then I suppose she told you that too huh?" Tommy asked angrily. He was now shaking out of anger from head to toe.

"Um…no actually she didn't. I sort of figured it out after looking at all those trophies the two of you won Angel Grove High."

"What trophies?" He was growing more and more impatient by the second.

"The ones that are in the amour in the west hall way. You know, the martial arts ones."

"Oh, yeah, Dr. O. I heard you guys were the bomb back then. They said ya'll were the best tag team in the state; you two just couldn't be stopped," Ethan said excitedly. "Yeah, I was looking at the trophies before class. Your name is everywhere. I can't believe I never noticed it before…Damn, and Angel Grove hasn't had a decent martial arts team since you guys graduated." Tommy looked at Ethan and frowned. _Martial arts team? _He remembered doing those competitions a while ago, but he had never had a tag partner…well, not since…And then he froze and looked at Cassidy. She now had tears in her eyes and was shaking a little.

"Yes, Dr. Oliver, Kimberly really is my stepsister and she is engaged to a guy named Jason, your old best friend."

* * *

**AN:** _Wow. Good stuff huh? If your read it, the least you can do is review. Reviews improve my writing skills. Bwahahahaha_


	6. Chapter 6

There was a slight pause before Tommy said anything. He didn't want to give himself too much time to think about what Cassidy just said. He just grabbed his briefcase, waved good-bye to Ethan and Cassidy, then headed out the door.

* * *

Cassidy and Ethan decided not to follow him. They were pretty sure-even though he didn't react- that he was feeling like crap.

"You know Cassidy, that was…wow. I wasn't expecting that." Cassidy didn't say anything. She had a big knot in her throat. She felt like shit and all she wanted to was go in a corner and cry.

"Cas, hey…look at me. I think you had the right idea to tell him. I mean, he's not telling us anything but I bet you my laptop that he cares more about the situation than he just let on. You saw his reaction to her voice. He knows it was her and from the look on his face, he never stopped caring about her." Cassidy rubbed her eyes and then twisted her face into a curious frown.

"Um…Cas, what's up?" Ethan asked anxiously.

"Well, I was just thinking…I mean, you're probably right about him caring about her, but don't you think it's odd?"

"What's so odd about that?"

"Well, I mean, his best friend is marrying his ex-girlfriend. From all the stories I heard, those two used to be inseparable. They were almost always together. I just…I think something may have happened between those two."

"Um…DUH, Cassidy! They broke up and it was a bad break up and now they aren't on speaking terms because they can't forgive each other for what happened years ago."

"Um…Ethan, you're such a drama queen and you're a ditz. I mean maybe it was a bad break up but there's something more to it than that. I just know it and I am going to get to the bottom of it."

"Cassidy, why do you have to be so…so damn nosy. Can't you just let it go? You see the poor guy has only been here two days, just two and you've dropped all this on him. It's a wonder he don't decide to leave and not come back."

"I'm not going to bother him about that anymore, but I want to know what my sister meant by "power rangers". I mean, what's the connection?"

"Uh…you got me."

"We're going to go find out some things. My sister will be here with her fiancé next week. They are going to spend a week getting settled into their new home and she'll start work a week later. That means we have exactly two weeks to get some information. I'm pretty sure I can get a little background info from Kim, but it will be tricky. If Jason is the Jason that we led Tommy to believe, then I'll really have to be careful. I don't want people to fall out…or kill each other over something silly."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, girl. Wait a minute. What's with all this WE business. I mean, I didn't tell Dr. O anything. I'm just the innocent bystander and besides, I have to meet Conner and Kira at the youth center for drinks."

"Oh come on Ethan! I need you…well, mostly your brain, however idiotic it may be at times."

"Look Cassidy, you really need to tread lightly with this situation. I've seen movies on lifetime. When it comes to love, it has no remorse. If it's true that Tommy still has feelings for Kim, you need to make sure that he doesn't interfere with her engagement. It's bad enough that she's engaged to his ex-best friend. I'm afraid of what might happen should the three of them run into each other."

"Yeah, ok. I'm not stupid you know. I just…I kindof feel bad for the guy now. I only told him because I knew…and I was only trying to help…I…Ooooo." Cassidy stood up with a dazed look upon her face.

"Um…Cassidy, you're scaring me."

"No…damn…that won't work…but she doesn't really sound so sure…"

"Cas…please…spit it out! I'm dying here!"

"What if…what if we sort of helped him out."

"By help you mean…"

"I mean, I think that we should fix it up…I mean, I have to know and she has to know and he has to know…"

"Cassidy! Come down to earth! Hello! Waiting on your explanation here."

"Oh, right. So I think those two need to meet."

"Um…"

"I think Tommy and Kim should each other one more time."


	7. Chapter 7

"What? Are you outta your mind Cas? That idea has bad written all over it."

"No, no you don't see the logic here. Look, let me explain."

"I'm listening."

"I don't think my sister is really _in love_ with her fiancé so to speak."

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Uh…Ethan. Damn you're slow! Weren't you listening to the tape?"

"Yeah, and it sounded as though she was ready to get married and move on with her life."

"Ethan…never mind. Just listen to it again." Cassidy pulled out the tape recorder and rewound it. Then she pressed play.

"_Oh, well, we haven't set a date yet. We have to see how things are gonna work out with both of our new jobs."_

"_Yeah ok. You aren't getting cold feet are you?" Kimberly laughed._

"_No, dad, I'm not. I love him. He loves me. That's all that matters."_

"Um…Cas, this just proves you WRONG! She just said that she loved her fiancé and I think she's right. Love is all that matters when it comes to a relationship."

"Ethan, you're so thick. No wonder you're still SINGLE! She didn't sound very enthused about getting married. In fact, she sounded a bit unsure. Cassidy fast forwarded a little bit and played some more of the tape.

_Look, seeing Tommy won't be a problem for me. He's probably married and moved on with his life just like me, ok. As for the power rangers, it's over ok._

"See what I mean Ethan. Why would she get so upset about Tommy? That just proves that she still has feelings for him. If not, then there are some things about Tommy that Jason doesn't have."

"I guess you could be right. I mean, I see no reason why that statement should have upset her so."

"Good. Now we're on the same page. Now, I have to figure out a way to get them to meet. I am pretty sure that Kimberly doesn't know that Tommy is a substitute here at the school, but _he_ already knows she'll be around from time to time because of her new job."

"Well, that could prove to work in your favor." Cassidy paused for a second and pursed her lips. "Maybe…" She sounded a bit unsure. "The thing is though she's only training the competition cheerleader. That means she never really has to step foot inside the school unless their's a pep rally or something. Her paycheck will come to her through direct deposit at the bank."

"How do you know that?"

"Because she's always had everything done through direct deposit. Makes things a whole lot simpler. Anyway, you're not helping." Everything was quiet for a few moments when Ethan looked amazed about something. "Ethan, are you ok?"

"I just thought of something."

"Well, come on! Let's hear it!"  
"Ok, well you remember earlier when I told Dr.O that the martial arts team hasn't won anything in ages since he left Angel Grove?"

"Yeah, but how's that…"

"Well, I heard from Conner that he used to not only compete but teach it as well…" Cassidy grabbed Conner and kissed him on the lips.

"You are brilliant!" she said excitedly. "So who's going to do the convincing, you or me?"

"Well, I figure it would sound less suspicious if I did the convincing. I mean, how could he pass it up. He loves martial arts."

"Yeah, sounds great." Cassidy was about to leave but she stopped at the door.

"Did you forget something?" Ethan asked slowly.

"Hmmm…I was just thinking, I haven't heard about anyone wanting to join the Angel Grove Martial Arts team this year. Can't say that I blame them either. I did a story on them last year and…"

"Leave that to me Cas. I know a few people that owe me."


	8. Chapter 8

Tommy left the school and headed down to the youth center. He really needed to go home and think but at the moment, he didn't know whether he should think or not. He was certain that the voice on the tape recorder was in deed Kimberly's. Even though years had passed since he last heard her sweet voice over the phone, he still knew the sound of her laugh and just as well knew the sounds of hurt. Apparently, she was very hurt by the words from her dad. He had really touched a nerve mentioning the power rangers. There was something about that phone call that he wasn't so sure about. He remembered her words exactly how they were on the tape…

… _seeing Tommy won't be a problem for me. He's probably married and moved on with his life just like me, ok. As for the power rangers, it's over ok…_

What did she mean by "probably married and moved on"? Was it possible that she still…? Tommy's thoughts were interrupted by a bunch of students bumping into him.

They were all heading towards the youth center. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even realize where he was. Tommy hesitated before going into the youth center. Now that he had seen all of those kids going inside, he really just wanted to go somewhere quiet. He was about to leave when Ethan spotted him.

"Yo! Dr. O, what's happening?"

"Uh…hey Ethan. Um…I was just about to leave."

"Looks like you were heading towards the youth center from my point of view."

"Uh…well…" Tommy sighed. "I was but then I saw all those kids go in. I'm not sure whether or not I'm in the mood for loudness."

"Well, yeah I feel ya, but there's a special event going on in there today."

"Oh?" Tommy asked raising an eyebrow.

"Weren't you paying attention to how all the kids were dressed? Dr. O, you are losin' it my man. Check it, there's a competition going on in there. Not a major one, but something like a pre-season comp, you know, to check out the talent and for the coaches to get a feel for how well their teams compete."

"Oh, ok. That sounds cool. Well, anyway I think I'm gonna be off now. I got some things…"

"Dr. O, I think you should come watch. I'm sure Cas will appreciate your insight."

"I don't think I'd…"

"It's a martial arts comp. We're both pretty sure you can tell her some things or two before writing her article."

"But…"

"No buts. Trust me; her last article was a tragedy. Please come inside. I mean, you're already here and I doubt it will last very long. These kids are horrible!"

"Okay, okay, I'll come this one time." Both Ethan and Tommy headed inside the youth center.

* * *

The youth center was packed full of people. He looked around and spotted the judges table and then right beside it were four coaches. Four teams were competing today including angel grove's on martial arts team. In the first round of matches it was Angel Grove versus Windsor Academy. The one guy from Angel Grove lost three straight rounds because he kept getting thrown out of bounds.

"He needs to learn to plant his feet. That was just…"

"See Dr. O, I told you. It only gets worse," Ethan commented grimly.

After just four short rounds, Angel Grove was eliminated. They had too many loses and therefore was disqualified.

"Wow, Ethan. You were right. They need a lot of work."

"Yeah, well tell it to their coach. He's a damn idiot. Always fussing and yelling when they lose and never really helpful. I mean, I've been in here while they were practicing sometimes and he would show them something and expect them to get it right then. If they didn't, he'd yell and scream for hours."

"Are you serious? It's a wonder they even stick with it."

"Yeah, well a few of them I convinced to stay. Told them they may be getting a new teacher; someone who actually knew how to teach."

"Yeah, so who's the new guy? I hope he's some good…or is it a she?"

"Oh, well…you see that's the thing…I was…I was kinda hoping you'd do it."

"WHAT?!?!"

"Hey, calm down. No need to get so upset…but…but you see that they really need…"

"They need someone other than me," Tommy replied coldly. He was now staring at Ethan burning with anger.

"Dr. O, it's a good way to…uh…channel your anger and all…and um…so…" Damn it! Where is Cassidy?, Ethan thought. She was supposed to be here by now and I am getting my ass chewed out by…

"Dr. Oliver! How good to see you!"

Tommy turned around and saw that it was the principal Randall followed by Cassidy.

"Um…Ethan, it's time for us to go do that thing."

"Huh, what thing we…?"

"NOW ETHAN!"

"Ok…so uh talk to you later Dr. O" Ethan hurried off with Cassidy.

* * *

When he and Cas had finally exited the building they stopped and looked at each other.

"Do you think it'll work?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, I think so. Principal Randall agreed that the martial arts team sucked. When I told her that Dr. O was pro, she looked amazed and just had to see him for herself."

"Yeah, well let's hope he doesn't kill us the next time he sees us."

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just go before he catches us."

"My place or yours?" Ethan asked jokingly. Cassidy pursed her lips.

"Dream on. Go hang out with Kira. I'm sure you two have lots to do together." Ethan shook his head and headed to his house.


	9. Chapter 9

For some strange reason, Tommy had the feeling that Principal Randall was there because of Cassidy and Ethan. He couldn't prove it but he made a note to confront them about it later.

"Uh…hi Principal Randall. What brings you here?"

"Well, Dr. Oliver, I am going to get straight to the point. It is my job to keep up with the sports and any other programs that are going on in the school. I have been getting constant complaints from said students that the martial arts team needs some work. Wouldn't you agree?" she asked curtly.

"Uh…well, they may…need a little…but they aren't horrible."

"Exactly my point. A little birdie came by my office today and told me about your history as a martial arts competitor. I hear you were great."

"Ah…well, not really. I was ok."

"Oh, stop being so modest Dr. Oliver. Of course, these days you can't believe a word some of these teenagers say so I decided to find out for myself. I went to the school's trophy room and sure enough, I saw your name on several of the trophies; One or two from football, but several for karate and martial arts." Tommy didn't say anything. He was pretty sure he knew what was coming next. "Tommy right?" she asked curiously.

"Uh…yes."

"Well, Dr. Oliver, I would like for you to take over the school's martial arts team. They need work and you saw that first hand today. I will not take no for an answer and besides, I'll double your pay. I mean, after all, if they start winning, it's not like the school will be losing money. In fact, we'll earn some money to divide among the different sports and recreation programs here."

Tommy sighed. From the looks of things he wouldn't be able to get out of this one. He really had no good excuse. He was only subbing for one class everyday, which meant he had plenty of time for other things. "Well, I guess I could help out…"

"Good then. I will have a list of the names of students who are/were on the team and you can do what you like with them. They usually practice in here but if you need to practice somewhere else, I'm sure it can be arranged." She started to walk off. "Oh, by the way, your tie looks very nice." She smiled and then continued to walk off. Tommy sat back down at the bar. This whole situation had Cassidy written all over it. I wonder what she's up to he thought to his self. He wasn't quite certain, but he decided that it was best to just go with the flow. Eventually, she'd slip up and he'd find out what was going on.

* * *

The next day Tommy didn't lecture long. He decided to let the class out early and gave them a short reading assignment. He had wanted to get to the youth center a bit early so that he could get in a little early practice. The team was supposed to be meeting him today but he hadn't really planned on doing much. Since he didn't know any of the people on the list or what they needed, he thought it best to just play it by ear. After class, Ethan came up to his desk.

"So, um…Dr. O, I hear you are going to start training the team now."

"Yeah, it's true, but something tells me you already knew that," Tommy replied coolly.

"Uh…no, I didn't. I just…"

"You went to see Principal Randall. You told her about my trophies and you let Cassidy do the convincing since she's so good at it."

"Uh…not exactly, but…"

"Right. Anyway, I have to go warm up. Go do your reading assignment. Something tells me that you'll be teaching the class tomorrow."

"SAY WHAT?!!" Tommy left and headed to the youth center.

* * *

Tommy arrived at the youth center and to his surprise, not many students were there. He didn't complain though. The less eyes watching him practice, the better. He did a few warm up exercises and some weight training. Then he started going through his usual routine. Some high kicks and low kicks, spin kicks and roundhouse kicks, then a few jabs. Afterwards he did a whole series of routines that could be easily used for a competition. He finished his practice off by breaking some boards that he sat up with his fist. A moment later there was a loud applause. He looked up and saw that the youth center was full of people standing and watching him. Most of them were his students. They were dressed in their robes and were staring at him in amazement. He looked around some more and he saw Ethan in the corner of the juice bar with Cassidy, Devin, Kira, and Connor. They were all smiling and waving. He figured they would be there. It was their fault that he got sucked into this.

"So, are you our new instructor?" one kid asked timidly.

"Yeah, I'm Dr. Oliver, but I guess you guys can call me Tommy."

"My name is David. So um…what are we going to work on first?"

"Well, I thought today I'd just do some demonstrations and talk to you guys. I'd like to get to know you all better. I also need to know what each of you are struggling with so that we can work on making improvements."

"Yeah, well I don't think I am having too much trouble. My cousin teaches me whenever he's around. But I want to actually win something sometimes, so I am up for learning anything new and improving."

"Great attitude David. So the rest of you gather round and let's talk."

Tommy left the youth center feeling slightly refreshed. He had a pretty good group of students who were just eager to improve and learn new things. He hated to admit, but maybe teaching the kids was a good idea after all. It at least took his mind off of Kimberly and Jason. He was excited now, for the moment, about his future in Angel Grove. Maybe it won't be so bad after all, he thought.

* * *

Kimberly and Jason pulled up to their new house. It was a cute brick house with a huge porch and backyard. Just what I always wanted she thought. They got out of their Mustang convertible and headed towards the house. Kimberly looked around and noticed the neighbor hood looked very quiet.

"Is something the matter sweetie?" Jason asked.

"Oh, no. I was just admiring the neighborhood."

"Are you sure this is ok? I mean, we didn't have to move here so early."

"Oh, no. I am fine. I really want to go to the youth center sometime and work out. Plus, I figure I can get an early start on the routines that I could teach the cheerleaders. I am so excited. I can't wait to get started!" Kimberly laughed as Jason pulled her into a slow, passionate kiss.

"I'm glad that you're happy and when you're happy, I'm happy."

"I am just happy to be back home and what better way to start over here than with the man I love."


	10. Chapter 10

Kimberly arose the next morning to the smell of food. Jason was cooking breakfast. Kimberly smiled. Jason was so thoughtful and sweet. She looked over at the clock. It was almost nine thirty and Jason was going to be late if he didn't hurry up. Kimberly climbed out of bed, grabbed her robe, and made her way to the kitchen. She was still a little tired since she and Jason were up late putting things away and making the house look livable. They were almost done. Jason had the inside painted a week ago so all that was left was to finish the decorating and putting clothes away. When Kimberly entered the kitchen Jason pulled her into a warm, embracing hug.

"Good morning lovely. Sleep well?"

"Just like I've been sleeping here all my life," she replied with a smile.

"You are so beautiful. Have I told you that lately?" he asked while pulling her into a kiss.

Kimberly laughed. "Only for the 100th time since we've been home. Anyway you better get going or else you'll be late."

"Oh, alright, I'm going. Enjoy your breakfast. I should be home around 5 or 6 but I'm not sure yet. Today we're going over the blueprints for the new City Hall and we're supposed to start work on the new middle school today."

"That's fine. I'm supposed to go to the high school around lunch to have lunch with Principal Randall and meet my new assistant cheerleading coach. I don't start the gymnastics coaching until next month but I may go over to the youth center today to see how much has changed. I may have to find somewhere else for my gymnasts to train."

"Hmmm…I hear that the center hasn't changed much except for the additions that they added to it. It should be plenty of room but you might wanna check it out for yourself. Alright babe, I'm gone. Have a sweet day." He closed the door and left. Kimberly sat down at their counter and ate her breakfast. All the while she was eating she thought about Jason and how lucky she was to have a guy like him. After eating, she made her way up stairs. It was almost time for her lunch meeting and she could not wait to see her old school again.

* * *

Tommy finished his lecture and dismissed the class. Instead of leaving, he decided to stay and catch up on some grading. He had not had time the last two days to grade because of all the distractions. He was not the only one that stayed behind. Cassidy and Ethan were at the back of the class talking in low voices so that he could not hear. Tommy twisted his face in confusion. Now what were they up to he wondered…

* * *

"Cas, are you sure about this?"

"I'm positive," she whispered. "She called my dad last night and told us that they were back in the city."

"Oh, damn. That's gotta hurt. Wonder why she's back so soon."

"Well, Kimberly's stubborn. She's probably here just to prove to my stepfather that she's ok living here…Or she could be ready to get started with the cheerleader's training."

"So…um, any idea when she'll be visiting the school?"

"I don't know but I think I'm going to the youth center this afternoon and hang out a while, you know, just in case she drops by."

"Is Dr. O working their today?"

"I don't know, but I really hadn't planned on them meeting right now. It's too soon…way too soon. There's no telling what may happen…"

"Guys, just what are you two up to now?" The sound of Tommy's voice scared them and they immediately jumped up.

"Uh…nothing Dr. Oliver. We were just…making plans for this afternoon," Cassidy replied quickly.

"Really? So what are your plans?" Tommy asked while grading another paper.

"Um…we…we were just…gonna hang out at the youth center today. That's all," Ethan said smoothly.

"Oh, good. I have practice today with the team. They are going to be learning the proper way to do round-house kicks. Some of them are terrible."

Cassidy and Ethan shot each other side long glances. They both secretly hoped that Kimberly would not show up at the center today; otherwise, it probably wouldn't go so well.


	11. Chapter 11

Kimberly arrived at the school as the lunch bell was ringing. There were some students filing out of the building to leave to go home or eat off campus lunch at the youth center. When Kimberly entered the building she was immediately greeted by Principal Randall.

"Why, hello there. You must be Kimberly. Nice to finally meet you." She shook Principal Randall's hand. "Now, I've decided that we should have lunch somewhere else. Your assistant will be meeting us there shortly so how about we leave now and save her a place at the table?"

"Uh…sure. No problem."

Kimberly and Principal Randall arrived at the Olive Garden moments later. To their surprise, a table was already prepared for them.

"The lady is here but she went to wash up. She'll be back momentarily. What would you two like to drink?" the waiter asked politely.

"Uh…a scotch for me. How about you Ms. Hart?" Principal Randall asked.

"Uh…just water please, for now. Thanks." The waiter left and returned a few seconds later with their drinks. "Thanks. So Ms. Hart…"

"Please, call me Kimberly."

"Alright then. So what brings you back to Angel Grove to work? I was looking at your resume and I knew you looked familiar. You competed in the Olympic Games a few years back and placed first for our country. That must have been a huge career success for you."

"Yeah it was but after training and competing for five straight years, I became exhausted. I just…it wasn't fun anymore. With the Olympics all you do is wake up early, exercise, practice, compete, sleep, and do it all over again. Eating is something you do if you have time, for you risk gaining weight and that doesn't go over well with a personal trainer."

"Well, compared to the pictures it's as though you haven't aged a bit."

"Yeah, well I guess being an athlete contributes to that."

"Yeah, guess you're…Oh, well there is your assistant now, coming this way."

"Guess I'll stand and shake her hand then." Kimberly turned around and was shocked to see who her new assistant was. A tall, skinny brunette was walking towards them. Kimberly was so shocked that she almost ran out of the restaurant.

"Kimberly meet Catherine. Catherine this is Kimberly." She stuck out her hand and Kimberly shook it briefly. Then she turned to the waiter. "I think I'll have that drink now. Make it a scotch. Straight please."

* * *

"So Catherine, thanks for getting us a table. That was very sweet of you", said Principal Randall.

"It was no trouble at all and please call me Kat."

"Alright then, I will. So tell me Kat, how long have you been living in Angel Grove?"

"Uh…well, only a few years now. I moved here coming up to my senior year and graduated here." Kat looked very uncomfortable and with very good reason. For starters, she and Kim had a complicated past relationship. When Kimberly made the decision to leave the power rangers, she bestowed her powers to Kat among other things. For a long time, Kimberly had suspected that Katherine had feelings for Tommy, her boyfriend at the time. When she finally broke it off with Tommy, Kat did not hesitate to move right in.

"Um…Kimberly?"

"Uh, yes Principal Randall? I'm so sorry. I was just thinking about something."

"Oh, well I was just asking, have you two known each other for very long?"

"Uh…well, not really," Kimberly answered unsurely. It was true that she and Kat hadn't known each other for very long, but the little time that she knew Kat did not bring about the happiest of memories. Kimberly really didn't know how she felt about Kat. The fact that Kat almost tried to kill her years ago didn't really set in at the time. She was so caught up in going to the Olympics that she released her power coin without thinking twice, but so much has happened since then that she now wondered had she really made the right decision years ago. A few moments later, their waiter returned with their entrées. They all ate in an awkward silence. Apparently Principal Randall sensed the tension because as soon as she was done with her entrée, she looked at her watch and got up to leave.

"Forgive me ladies, but I have another important meeting coming up in a few. You two can work out the details of the cheerleading camp and let me know what you will need. The uniforms from last year are still in good shape so I recommend just using those. I'll see you two later. Buh-bie!" she said cheerfully. Kimberly and Kat just sat there in silence for a second. Finally, Kat decided to try and ease the tension.

"So…um…Kimberly it's been…"

"Yeah, a long time," she answered shortly.

"Well, how have you been? I haven't seen you since you since you left for your training."

"I've been well and I'm sure you have been too."

"Uh…yeah I have actually," she replied nervously. Kimberly didn't say anything more but continued to eat without looking up at Kat. "Listen Kimberly, I don't know about you but this is really awkward for me."

"Yeah, me too," she answered quickly.

"I understand that you don't want to talk to me after all that's happened between us," she said softly.

"I'm way over it Kat. Just drop it ok. I just moved back into town and I wasn't expecting to see you of all people. Forgive me for being rude but it's kinda hard to be friendly with someone who tried to kill me!" Kimberly yelled. At this point everyone in the restaurant had stopped eating and were looking their way. "I'm getting out of here." Kimberly grabbed her things and walked out the restaurant.

"KIMBERLY! KIMBERLY PLEASE WAIT! YOU ACT LIKE THIS IS ALL MY FAULT, BUT IT'S NOT!" Kimberly stopped walking and turned around as Kat was walking toward her.

"What?"

"You heard me Kim. You act as if the awkwardness between us is all my fault, but you know that it's your fault too."

"I did nothing but be a good friend to you Kat and you repay be by trying to take my life! So if the shoe was on the other foot don't you dare stand there and tell me you wouldn't feel the same," Kimberly replied coldly. She was now shaking from being so angry.

"Yeah, I suppose that I would be upset too, but if you didn't trust me so much then why'd you give me your power coin?" Kimberly couldn't answer this. At the time, she was young at the time and her parents were really pushing her to pursue that Olympic training. It's wasn't really her choice in the matter. Even so, she don't suppose she would have made a different decision if given the chance to do all over again. Everything turned out for the best. The world was now safe from evil and she was now getting ready to marry the man she loved.

"Kimberly, what's this really about?"

"Excuse me? I already told you that I'm a little uneasy right now."

"Well, you never answered my question so I have to think that the real reason that you don't want to be around me is because of Tommy." Kimberly glared at Kat angrily. Why did she have to bring him up? This had absolutely nothing to do with him.

"Kat, I do not care what you or Tommy did or do. I am not concerned about him anymore. I have moved on with my life," she replied coolly. It was taking everything in her power not to burst into tears. She didn't know why she wanted to cry, but she just knew she needed to do something or else she'd explode.

"Well, I think you feel guilty about something."

"Guilty?!" Kimberly laughed. "Why on earth would I feel guilty?"

* * *

Cassidy and Ethan had just come from lunch at a restaurant near the Olive Garden. They had followed Principal Randall there hoping to spot Kimberly.

"Well, I'm really not sure but I would think she'd come to the school today so we need to hurry and get back," Cassidy said. She and Ethan walked outside and stopped shortly. They could hear load voices coming from around the corner. It sounded serious.

"Cas, let's check it out. It may be something bad." They ran around the corner and stopped suddenly as Cassidy let out a loud gasp.

"What is it Cas?"

"That's…that's Kimberly…and she's talking with Kat!"

"More like screaming at Kat."

"Shush", Cassidy said suddenly. "Let's see what they're arguing about." 

"_You feel guilty because you know you did Tommy wrong."_

"_I DID TOMMY WRONG? HOW DO YOU FIGURE THAT? YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM!"_

"_I KNOW THAT HE WAS A GOOD MAN AND YOU LEFT HIM AND FOR WHAT? A QUICK FLING WITH SOME…"_

"_YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY LIFE DAMMIT! AND YOU'RE ONE TO TALK. YOU JUST COULDN'T WAIT TO GET YOUR SLUTTY HANDS ON HIM. OH, YEAH, DON'T SHAKE YOUR HEAD NOW. I SAW THE WAY YOU LOOKED AT HIM. I KNOW YOU WANTED HIM, BUT HE WOULDN'T GIVE YOU THE TIME OF DAY."_

"_Yeah ok, but as soon as you dropped him like yesterday's news I was there for him. While you were away training, I was there for him. He needed me."_

"_Yeah, I'm sure. But that doesn't matter anymore because like I said I have moved on. Go and be with him. Give him my and Jason's regards."_ And with that she left Kat standing there fuming with anger.

"Whoa! What was that all about?" Ethan asked curiously. "I've never seen two chicks go at it like that."

"Well, I know what it was about and I think we need to make sure that Dr. Oliver doesn't step foot near the youth center today."

"Why not?"

"I don't think he knows that BOTH his ex-girlfriends are in town."


	12. Chapter 12

Kimberly drove home feeling both anger and guilt. On one hand she had the right to be furious at all the things Kat said but then again, Kat would not have said those things under different circumstances. Kat was probably just as nervous about seeing her after all these years. Kimberly let out a sigh and made note to apologize to Kat the next time they met, but for now, she needed to let off some steam. She drove home and got her gym wear. Then she headed off to the Youth Center to work off some steam.

* * *

Ethan and Cassidy returned to the school but Tommy was no where to be found. They found Devin standing near the chemistry lab.

"Hey Dev, you seen Dr. Oliver?" Cassidy asked impatiently.

"Uh, yeah."

"Well…"

"Um…let's see now. Where did he say?...Oh yeah, I know. He went to the Youth Center to get a drink. He should be back shortly to finish grading some papers."

"Thanks Dev." Then Cassidy and Ethan headed towards the youth center.

* * *

When Kimberly entered the youth center a great feeling overcame her. It had been so long since she had been on the inside. As usual there were people everywhere. Some were lifting weights and practicing karate while others were reading and drinking at the bra. She looked around but did not see Ernie anywhere. Kimberly noticed that everything was about the same except for it seemed as though the room had been extended a couple of feet, which was great. She now had more room to tumble and dance. Kimberly found the old familiar balance beam and decided to give it a go. It had been a while since she had done the beam but she figured it would be a good warm up. She took a step back then mounted the beam to begin an old favorite routine.

* * *

Tommy was sitting at the juice bar when Cassidy and Ethan entered the center. Tommy spotted them just as they were coming in.

"You know, you guys are starting to make me wonder. I see you two together and I get all scared. What are you up to now?" he asked curiously.

"Um…well nothing. Just thought we'd drop by and see how you were doing Dr. O," Ethan answered quickly. Cassidy was frantically looking around the youth center.

"Hey Cas, are you…looking…for…somebody?" Tommy asked slowly. He noticed that she was looking all over the place was starting to think that maybe she had gotten herself into some kind of trouble.

"Um…Not really," she answered. "But…" She was cut off immediately by a load applause.

"I wonder what's going on?" Ethan asked curiously. All three turned to see what the commotion was about. The people in the youth center were all staring at some girl doing a routine on the beam. Cassidy look horrified.

"Cas, is something the matter?" Tommy asked. He was now starting to worry that Ethan and Cassidy were keeping something from him.

"Um…yeah, everything."

"Hey, Cas, um…that chick on the beam looks just like…"

"I KNOW ETHAN! JUST SHUT IT!"

"Cas, what are you…?" There was another round of applause and Tommy's question was drowned out by the applauses. He looked up to see the girl make a backflip on the beam look easy.

"Wow. She's good," Tommy commented.

"Yeah she would be on account she's been doing it all her life," Ethan said. Cassidy shot him an evil look and Ethan decided not to talk anymore.

"Um…Dr. Oliver, I think we should go now. I uh…need help with my…my work," she said quickly.

"Uh…what work Cas? I thought you turned in all your homework yesterday? I'm sure you did because I graded it this morning. Are you _sure _you're feeling ok? You look very nervous about something?" Cas didn't say anything. She just watched as Kimberly continued playing around on the beam, never missing a step or turn. Tommy watched too and realized that it had been a while since he'd seen anybody that good on the beam.

"You know Cas, you sister's really good at that stuff…" Ethan stopped short only after just realizing what he let slip. Cassidy didn't say anything but looked very nervous. She was hoping that maybe Tommy didn't hear but judging from the look on his face, she knew he had heard.

"Cas, you didn't tell me that you had a sister," he said softly, his eyes never leaving the beam.

"Uh…well, no…but, don't mind Ethan. He's just…" Before she could finish her statement, Tommy had started to walk through the crowd. As he got closer, the girl's face became clearer and he soon realized that it really was her…_Kimberly_. She looked as beautiful as ever and she still had that perfect gym body. Her hair looked as if it had been trimmed a little but it didn't matter. Any hairstyle looked good on her. He watched as she did a series of turns and a backflip to the end of the beam. The crowd went nuts once again. She smiled as she looked around the room at her onlookers. It felt great to be back in the gym but it felt even better to be back in Angel Grove. She did one last sweep of the crowd and then prepared to dismount. Tommy stood back into the crowd and watched a perfect dismount. He expected nothing less from Kimberly. She was a perfectionist when it came to her gymnastics. After her dismount, the crowd applauded her once again and she started to make her way through the crowd. Tommy turned and walked back to the juice bar where Cassidy and Ethan were waiting nervously.

"Dr. Oliver I am so sorry that I didn't tell you…"

"It's okay Cassidy," he said softly. "I didn't need to know." He grabbed his coke and keys. "I'll see you guys later. I need to go home and get ready for practice this afternoon. Oh and Cas, give your sister a hug for me." And then he walked off without even looking towards Kimberly.

"Oh Cas, he looked so…"

"I know Ethan, but I'm glad he chose not to say anything to her. It's just too soon and I don't think Kimberly needed to see him today either. It would have been just too weird but still…I can tell he still cares for her. Did you see the look in his eyes? It was amazing!"

"Cas, calm down. I am not helping you do ANYTHING, you got that? We have enough trouble as it is. I see why Devin looks the way he looks all the time. You're driving that poor guy mad!"

"Oh Ethan, don't be so dramatic. Let's go over and speak to my sister. And don't you DARE say anything about Tommy. You got that?!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Alright, let's go."


	13. Chapter 13

Ethan and Cassidy both made their way through the crowd quickly. When they finally reached Kimberly, she was conversing with some little ones. Apparently they wanted some lessons.

"Talk to your parents first and then we'll see," she said politely.

"Kimberly!" Kim turned around and saw Cas along with a guy she had never seen before smiling back at her. She squealed with delight.

"Cas! Oh my god girl! It's so good to see you!" Kimberly flung her arms around her younger sister. It was so good to finally see a loving and familiar face. Kimberly pulled away and looked at Ethan.

"Oh, I'm sorry sis. This is a really good friend of mind. His name's Ethan. Ethan, you know Kimberly." They shook hands.

"It's nice to finally meet you Kim. Cas has told me a lot about you."

"Oh did she now? Well I hope it was all good things," she said with a grin. "So, how'd you know I was here? The only person I told was your dad and I made him promise not to tell anyone." Cassidy let out a nervous laugh.

"Oh well, you know how my stepfather is. So what made you decided to come back so soon? Dad had told me that you weren't coming for another two weeks?"

"I was bored and decided to come and get an early start on the different programs. I had come up with a few routines for the cheerleaders that I've been itching to teach. Plus, I love working out in here. It's the best. I was reminded of that just a while ago, as you can see," she said with a grin.

"Oh, well I am happy you're here. I can't wait to spend some time with you," Cas said excitedly.

"Yeah, that'd be great. We're almost done getting the house straightened out so you two should come over sometime for lunch or dinner. It's just me and Jason so I'm sure he won't mind some extra company."

"Oh I'd be honored! I'd love to hear some stories about your training for the Olympics. I watched that year and you were awesome!" Cassidy cast Ethan a ugly look but quickly changed that when Kimberly smiled.

"Sure. I'll tell you all about it one day over dinner or during some free time. Well, guys I'd love to stay longer but I need to find Principal Randal about something important." Kimberly gave both Cassidy and Ethan a hug before she grabbed her things and took off.

* * *

Tommy drove home after a long day. After he finished grading some papers he left the school. He didn't even bother going back to the youth center. He was afraid of what might happen. Kimberly had no idea that he was there earlier today watching her. She was very unaware of him. Although that was the case for her, it certainly wasn't the case for him. As soon as he realized it was her, his heart began to race like the wind. He moved closer through the ground to get a closer look at her. She was still as beautiful as the day she left to train. Even when she visited that time when he was dating Kat, she still looked beautiful. He had a hard time keeping his eyes off of her then and today was no different. It took everything he had not to walk up to her and pull her into his arms. He knew that she shouldn't feel so strongly for her, especially since she was taken, but seeing her today reawakened feelings that took him years to suppress. Tommy reached his house moments later. He sat in his vehicle for a moment before getting out. Tomorrow he had to go to the youth center after school. He needed to start teaching his students a new routine to practice at home. Tommy let out a sigh. He hoped that Kimberly wouldn't drop in during their practice tomorrow. There was just no way he'd be able to concentrate with her around.

* * *

Jason came home and found Kimberly in the kitchen making dinner.

"Hey sweetie. Mmm…something smells delish."

"Oh well, I am making your favorite. Chicken alfredo with a side of twisted garlic bread and cinnamon sticks," she said with a smile.

"Well, what has inspired this treat?" he asked with a smirk.

"Well, you know, I was in a good mood and…" He came up behind her and grabbed her waist. Then he kissed her neck and whispered in her ear.

"I love it when you cook, but the real treat will be dessert," he whispered playfully. She laughed and pushed him back.

"No dessert before dinner," she said forcefully. "Now sit and tell me about your day."

"My day was pretty average. We went over blue prints but we didn't actually start building anything today, which disappointed me a little. How about you? Did you go to your meeting?"

"Uh…yeah and it went…it was interesting," she said coolly.

"Interesting. By interesting you mean…"

"I met my new assistant for the cheerleading squad," she replied while breaking her bread and not looking up.

"Okay. Well, do you think you guys will be able to work together and come up with winning routines?" he asked curiously. There something going on that Kimberly wasn't telling him.

"Oh, well I'm pretty confidant that the routines will be winners. I just…it's going to take a while to get used to working with her."

"Her?"

"Yes."

"Does 'her' have a name?" Jason asked jokingly.

"Um…yeah, Catherine. Her name's Catherine."

"Oh okay. Well, I'm sure you two will…" Jason paused for a moment and watched Kimberly. She had dropped her bread in plate and wasn't eating anything. She was only staring back at him with an odd expression on her face.

"Kimberly? Is something…"

"No, I'm fine. I just…After working out at the gym today I was able to calm down from the shock of it all. Now I feel like I may be able to work through this. I knew something would…but I just never expected to see her my first day back…You know, after everything that's happened in the past."

"Kimberly, what are you talking about? Did something happen today?"

"Well, yeah but everything's fine now," she added quickly.

"So your new assistant, you guys must have started off on the wrong foot or something." Kimberly took a sip of her lemonade.

"Oh I guess you could say that."

"Well, what happened?"

"I said some things that I maybe shouldn't have said. I mean, after all, I'm sure she was just as nervous about seeing me as I was seeing her."

"Nervous? Why on earth would she…? Is she like a fan of yours from your Olympic days?" Jason was starting to get nervous as well. If things were going bad for Kimberly then he didn't want her to stay here and be miserable.

"She was a fan years ago, but for other reasons," Kimberly replied nonchalantly. "Anyway, let's just forget it. Everything's fine now," she said reassuringly.

Jason did not believe her. He needed to know what it was that she was hiding from him.

"Kimberly, please just tell me why…" But then he stopped. It had just dawned on him why Kimberly was so nervous. _Catherine._

"Kimberly, is Kat the Catherine that you were referring to earlier?" he asked softly. She looked up at him nervously and nodded her head.


	14. Chapter 14

Jason just sat there for a minute and started thinking. _Kat_. It had been so long since he had seen her. He never thought she'd still be around and she hadn't really crossed his mind since being engaged to Kimberly. Although…there was a time where he thought she was the most beautiful thing that he had laid eyes on. He could still vaguely remember her accent and her pretty blue eyes. He also remembered working along side her as a ranger but never being able to get to her because of Tommy. Jason's thoughts were interrupted by Kimberly who had started cleaning up the kitchen.

"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry. I had zoned out for a moment trying to put myself in your shoes. I know it must have been an interesting day for you," he said with concern.

"Yeah, but I actually feel better…and worse now. I worked out at the gym and now I can't wait to start working with her. Then again-I know I must be mad, but she and I kinda got off on the wrong foot today. I lashed out at her for no good reason," Kimberly said sadly.

"Sweetie, it's ok. I'm sure Kat will understand. Working with her for that short period of time…I learned that she was a very forgiving person," he replied with a smile.

"Yeah, I hope you're right. I just want everything to be alright. I want us to live here together with no troubles," she said. Then she walked towards him and planted a kiss on his forehead. "I'm gonna go get ready for bed now. See you upstairs." Then she left Jason alone to think.

So Kat was back in town. He knew that it shouldn't be such a big deal but he couldn't help but to wonder how she was doing. For a long time he'd had a crush on her but because she was involved with his best friend, he didn't have the guts to tell her. By now, he was sure Kat and Tommy were well on their way to being married, if not already married. He was beginning to think that Kim's fight with Kat had something to do with Tommy. Jason let out a sigh before cleaning up the rest of the kitchen. If Kat was in town that meant Tommy was probably there too. He just hoped that he didn't cross paths with either of them any time soon. Things were already awkward enough; he didn't need things to get worse.

* * *

The next afternoon, Tommy held practice for his high school martial arts team. They practiced a new series of steps and then did a few short bouts. After two hours of practice, Tommy dismissed them and made his way to the juice bar to get a drink.

"Tommy, how are you?" Ernie asked.

"Oh, I'm good. I am loving my team. They're getting so much better and I'm excited!"

"Yeah, I've noticed the improvements," he said with a grin. "But um…I was in here yesterday watching a wonder."

"A wonder huh, what do you mean by that?" Tommy asked curiously.

"I mean that wonder named Kimberly. She tore the roof down in here yesterday."

"Yeah, I noticed," Tommy said softly.

"So have you talked with her yet?" Ernie asked curiously.

"No, she doesn't know that I'm in town."

"Well, why not? She's your friend. The least you could do is talk with her."

"Yeah, well Ernie being that she's engaged and all…I just don't think it's a good idea."

"You can't hide from her forever Tommy. I know that you have feelings for her…"

"Had", Tommy said quickly.

"Like I said, it's no secret that you still have feelings for her. I mean, even after all the time that's passed you still love her. You can't let that stop you from being friends, even if she is engaged." Then Ernie added in almost a whisper, "For all you know, she may be engaged to the wrong guy." Then he went back to taking orders. Tommy sat there for a moment when he received a tap on the shoulders. When he turned around he saw that it was…

"Kat?" he said shocked.

"Tommy?"

"Oh…It's good to see you!" He stood up and gave her a big, warm hug. He had not expected to see her anytime soon and even though the timing was a little off, he wasn't complaining about seeing a familiar face. Tommy pulled away so he could take a good look at her. Not much had changed about her. Her hair was shorter than it used to be and she was now a brunette. He liked her new hair color, which seemed to bring out the blue in her eyes. She was dressed as if she was getting ready to dance or something.

"So how do you like the teaching job?" she asked with a smile.

"I love it…say, how did you…?"

"Well, I am also working for the school. I am helping out with one of the cheerleading squads. Getting them ready for competition; It was Principal Randall that informed me that she was expecting great things from you and your team."

"Oh, okay," he said with a grin. "Well, to be honest, with you, I think those cheerleaders will be the envy of all others."

"Thanks Tommy for being so confident. I was slightly nervous but now I'll be okay." Tommy looked at his watch and saw that it was now close to 6pm. He needed to get home so that he could finish grading some more papers.

"Well Kat, I need to run, but listen, how about we catch up sometime? I'd love to hear how things are going with you and all."

"Uh…sure. Ok. That would be great," she replied nervously. "I'll be in touch," she replied with a grin and with that, he left.

* * *

Wow. Kat_. Here in town. Along with Kimberly and Jason._ Tommy laughed. It was a small world and it just seemed to keep getting smaller. The good thing about seeing Kat though was that he was never really 'in love' with her, which made it easier to talk to her. Even though he wasn't in love with her like he was with Kim, he still liked her very much. The hair color seemed to suit her so much better than blonde. It really brought out the color in her eyes and skin. The most important thing though was that he needed a friend; someone who would understand what was going on inside of him. He just knew that he could count on Kat. She was just like him in so many ways. They both had a difficult start with the power rangers. When Tommy first became a ranger, he had to work for Rita and try to destroy the other rangers. Kat had the same sort of difficult past. Just like him, she was created in Rita's image and had tried to kill off Kimberly who had been the pink ranger at the time and a best friend to her. Now that she was in town, he knew that coping with certain things would no longer be so hard now that he wasn't alone. He smiled as he thought about these things. Things were now starting to look up for him in Angel Grove. 


	15. Chapter 15

As soon as Tommy dismissed the class he headed straight for the bank. It was payday and he had to get to the bank before it closed at 5. Since his team was going to have it's first competition today, he knew that he would not have time to go later. Tommy went inside the bank and stood in line. Apparently everybody was trying to cash their checks this morning. When he finally signed off and cashed his check, he left and headed back towards his vehicle. He was about to get in when he noticed someone familiar driving up beside him. They pulled up in the space next to him and got out of their Mustang convertible. It was then that he realized it was Jason, his old partner. Jason turned and recognized him immediately.

"Tommy?!"

"Jase?"

"Fancy meeting you here bro," he said with a warm smile. He walked up and gave Tommy a big hug.

"Aw, man, so good to see you! How have you been?" Tommy asked.

"Oh, well, I've been doing pretty good. It's good to be back home that's for sure."

"Yeah, I feel you on that one. What are you doing now?"

"Construction work. I had always said that I would do something along the lines of construction. I lost interest at some point during grade school—mainly because of the time issues we were having, but now…now I have plenty of time to do something that I enjoy."

"That's great man! Keep it up."

"What about you? What brings you back home man?"

"Well, I went back to school and got my PhD so I'm a teacher now. Right now, I am subbing for a friend at Angel Grove High but after this year, I'm thinking about moving to DC, maybe try to get a job as a professor at Georgetown. I put in an application, but Angel Grove called before DC so…I'm here."

"And I just knew you'd be off somewhere kicking ass in a national martial arts comp," he replied with a chuckle.

"Naw, I sort of quit the competitions after…"

"Yeah, I know," he said in agreement.

"But I got suckered into training the new Angel Grove High karate team. They have their first comp today."

"Really?! Well, what time does it start?"

"4:30 in the Youth Center."

"I'll be there. With you as their coach, I'm sure they'll kick ass."

"Meh, I hope so. Some of them have really been struggling."

"How so?"

"Well, their last coach was an asshole man. He treated them like dirt and made them feel stupid every time they got something wrong. Now some of them are afraid to do anything cuz they are so afraid that I'm going to chew them out and you know that's not my style."

"Oh, man. I'm sorry to hear that. Anything I can do to help?"

"Hmm…I'm not sure. I mean, they all could use some extra help but since we only practice two hours twice a week, I really don't have time to help everyone with everything they are struggling with."

"Maybe I can drop in every now and then and help you out. I haven't practiced in a while but a quick run against you ought to do the trick," he said with a smirk.

"Anytime man, anytime. Well, listen, I gotta run. It's time for me to go get set for the comp but I'll see you at the Youth Center."

"Yeah, bro. Take care." Jason waved once more as Tommy drove off.

* * *

Tommy arrived back at the Youth Center already dressed and ready to get him team together. He was about to round them up when he saw Cassidy and Ethan sitting together at the juice bar. He crept up behind them and poked them in the back.

"Oh, geez Dr. O! What the hell was that for?"

"Yeah, that was cruel of you!" Cassidy said looking furious.

Tommy just laughed. "Calm down you two. Whenever I see my two favorite students together I just have to say hey, and anyway, what are you two up to now?"

"Now Dr.O, why would we need to be up to something?" Ethan asked with a smirk.

"Because as much as I'd love to believe you two, I know that you're up to something. But I don't have time to figure out what it is. Our match will be starting soon. Oh, and Cas, Jason is supposed to be coming so if you don't mind, keep a look out for him will you?"

"Yeah, sure." Tommy left to prepare his team for their upcoming challenge. Ethan turned to Cassidy who looked very disturbed by something.

"Cas, what's wrong?"

"Um…nothing. I just…You don't think Jason's going to bring Kimberly do you?"

"Uh…well, they are engaged and if I'm not mistaken, the cheerleaders have their first practice coming up today." Cassidy sighed and then turned her head towards the entrance to the Youth Center. She noticed a big guy wearing a red Tee walking in. She studied him for a moment and realized that it was Jason.

"Hey, Ethan, Ethan look! It's Jason!"

"What? Where?...Oh, that's Jason? Wow. I see why your sister's engaged to him. He's a pretty big guy…not bad looking either…I mean, I'm not gay but…"

"Shut up Ethan." She watched Jason for a moment and then realized that he wasn't alone. Kat was coming in right behind him. It appeared that they did not see each other, for she headed towards Tommy and he headed towards the stands to find a seat.

"Well…I guess Tommy has already met one eligible bachelorette," Cassidy said nonchalantly. She pointed to the other side of the room where they could clearly see Tommy in a warm embrace with Kat.

"Awe, ain't that cute," Ethan said smugly.

"Um…yeah it is, but it's not going to be so cute when he meets Kim."

"Well, she's not here so quit your worrying."

* * *

Moments later the competition was underway. Angel Grove won three out of four rounds which easily put them as the winners for the day. After the competition, Tommy's student's flooded him with hugs and high fives.

"Alright you guys, you get tomorrow off but I need you guys here Saturday morning alright. We still need to work on spin kicks." Tommy dismissed his team as Kat came up behind him.

"Great job Tommy. The kids were great!"

"Thanks Kat. So when do you…?" He was cut off by the sight of Jason.

"Aw, man thanks for coming. How was it from your expert point of view?" he asked jokingly.

"They were great…Some need to work on planting their feet but otherwise…" He stopped mid-sentence when he finally noticed Kat. She was looking very beautiful in a pink tank and some khakis. She was now a brunette and her hair seem to compliment her pale skin.

"Kat!"

"I was wondering when you were going to say hello. Give me hug you!" Kat pulled Jason into a warm hug and immediately Jason became aware of her sweet smelling perfume. He let her go seconds later, praying that his face wasn't red. He quickly turned his attention back to Tommy.

"So I heard you say practice Saturday?"

"Uh, yeah. Can you come by? I could really use your help. We can divide them up. You take the happy feet and I'll get the Chuck Norris's?"

Jason let out a laugh. "No problem man. Well, listen Kat, Tommy, it was good to see you guys but I need to head home before Kimberly…gets home." He had not meant to bring Kimberly up. In fact, he had told himself earlier that he would not mention her if he could help it.

"Alright then, well see you Saturday," Tommy said weakly. Jason walked off but before he could exit the center Kat ran up behind him.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked curiously.

Kat hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Jason, is Kim…is Kimberly alright?"

"Yeah, she's…"

"I mean, I may have said some…"

"Don't worry about it," Jason said softly. He grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. "Kim told me all about it, well, bits and pieces anyway. I attempted to piece them together so I may have an idea what happened between the two of you, but don't you worry. She's fine now and offers her apologies," he said with a smile.

"Oh…well," she laughed. "Tell her apology accepted. But could you…tell her I apologize too. I owe her one too." She looked up into his eyes and he smiled back.

"No problem. Well, uh…I guess I'll be seeing you then." He let go of her hand and went on home.

* * *

**AN:** _Okay, I know this chapter was kind of short but it was longer than most. I am working on two others and one is in very high demand right now. I now see how **J.K.Rowling** felt. Anyway, I'll update as soon as I can, but in the meantime, check out my other stories. _


	16. Chapter 16

Kat just stood there for a second as Jason left. She could still feel the tingle from where he held her hand just now. She was brought out of her daze by a tap on the shoulder from Tommy.

"Are you alright kitten?" he asked jokingly.

"Uh…yeah, I'm fine. I'm just…trying to get into the mind frame for practice this evening."

"Practice huh? Oh, yeah the cheerleaders. Well, like I said, I'm sure they'll be amazing when you're done with them."

"Aw, thanks Tommy."

"So um…how long is practice going to run?"

"Hmm, I'm not really sure. I'm just the assistant so it's up to my boss," she said with a chuckle.

"Well, I was wondering…how about we get together later tonight for some coffee, that is, if practice doesn't run too long. I could sure use a Frappacino or something."

"That would be great Tommy! I'll give you a call then?"

"Sure." He gave her a hug and then left. Kat stood there for a moment thinking. _Tommy_. She was so thrilled to be hanging out with him again. It felt just like old times and yet…why was she still thinking about Jason? Kat shrugged it off and went to change for practice.

* * *

Minutes later Kimberly arrived at the youth center ready to go. She walked and found Kat already leading the squad into a quick warm up.

"Thanks Kat for getting things started. I should have been here on time."

"No, it's quite alright Kimberly," she said with a smile. "Um…Kim, I just…"

"Kat, you don't need to say anything. I am sorry about the other day. I hope you can forgive me. I just…I told Jason some things and…"

"It's alright. He told me. Now let's get this practice started shall we?"

After all the girls had been picked up from practice, Kim called Jason to come pick her up. She had let him drop her off earlier.

"Hey, Kim, do you have a ride? I can take you home."

"Uh, that's ok. I already called Jason."

"Oh, ok."

"Yeah, thanks though. I really appreciate the offer."

"Oh it's no problem. So um…how do feel about the girls?"

"Oh well, I think they'll do great. Some of them need quite a bit of work though. I can't believe most of them are struggling with basic cartwheels! We have our work cut out…"

"Kim?" It was Jason.

"Over here!" Kim said enthusiastically. Jason walked over and when he saw Kat he paused for a moment. She was dressed in gym wear; tight fitting shorts and a tank top. Her hair was pulled back but she was looking good despite the tired look on her face. Kim ran up to him and gave him a hug.

"Uhg, you're all wet," he joked.

"Aw, sorry sweetie but Kat kept me on my toes."

Kat laughed before turning to Jason. "Well, I may have worked Kim today but the next practice it will be the other way around."

Jason watched Kat for a moment before turning his attention back to Kim. "You ready to go sweets?"

"Yeah, let me run to the back and get the rest of my things." Kimberly walked off leaving Jason and Kat in an awkward silence.

"So…uh…you looked like you've been working up a sweat," he said nervously.

"Yeah, it was…wow. I didn't figure I'd work so hard today but once Kim and I got started, everything sort of just clicked."

"Yeah, well I'm glad everything worked out well."

"So…um, how are you two doing?" she asked coolly.

"Everything's going good. We uh…just trying to get settled in and everything. How about you?"

"Um…I'm good. I am about to go and get some coffee with T…an old friend," she said quickly.

"Oh ok," he said sounding slightly disappointed. "Well, I hope you have a good time and I hope to see you around sometime. I may look in on one of your practices just to see how well you two work."

Kat let out a laugh as Kim came from around the corner. She waved good-bye to Kat as she and Jason took off.

* * *

Minutes later she was in Starbucks having coffee with Tommy. He looked so handsome in his white Tee and jeans.

"So how was practice?" he asked warmly.

"It was great! We got a lot done…and I'm sorry that I look so…"

"No, it's ok. You look great, even in the gym clothing," he said with a laugh.

Kat smiled at him before taking another sip of her drink. It felt great talking with Tommy again. He still had the same caring eyes he had years ago, and he was still as gorgeous as ever. So why were images of Jason and Kimberly flashing through her mind?

"Um…Kat? Are you ok?"

"Uh…yeah, I was…I have a lot on my mind. Competition stuff. You know how that goes."

"Yeah, same here. So guess who I saw today?"

"Who?" she asked curiously.

"My main man Jase. It was so good to see him. You have no idea how happy it made me to see him. I now have two of my best friends back in town and I couldn't be happier right now," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, I saw him earlier too. We didn't talk much though. He was…well, I was…I had to get back to practice. Didn't want to be late for the first day," she added quickly.

"Well, he's coming by the Youth Center on Saturday to help out with my practice. Afterwards, maybe we can all go out and get a drink or something."

"Uh…that sounds great. But are you sure? I mean, you guys haven't seen each other in a while and it could be just a guy thing…"

"Naw, Jason wouldn't mind." Then he grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Neither would I," he said softly.

* * *

Jason and Kim were lying on the sofa when Jason's cell started to ring.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Jason, it's me Tommy."

"Oh hey man, what's up?"

"Uh, is this a bad time?"

"Naw, we were just watching a movie."

"Well, I was wondering…well, since you'll be at practice Saturday, I was thinking that we could go out and get drinks or something after practice?"

"Sure man. That sounds good."

"Well, one other thing…Kat will be joining us. Hope that's alright. I just figured we all could go together since we haven't seen each other in a while. We could catch up on some things." Jason paused for a minute to think. He wanted to go but he didn't want to. It would be great to hang out with them both, but Kat…Kat would only complicate things. Also there was Kimberly. How would she feel about me hanging out with Tommy and Kat. He decided to turn him down.

"Uh…well, that would be great, but um…Let me think about it?"

"Is something wrong? If you wanted it to be an all guy thing we could…"

"No, it's…it's not that…listen let me…I'll let you know tomorrow. Alright? Okay, bie."

Jason hung up the phone and sighed.

"Is everything alright?" Kimberly asked concerned.

"Oh, yeah…it's nothing. Just a friend reminding me of something."

"So what's going on Saturday?"

"Well, I was invited to lunch but I don't know. What are your plans for Saturday?"

"I might go to the gym Saturday evening and work out. I can't believe how much I've missed the beam," she said with a smile.

"Oh, ok."

"Why don't you go to lunch with your buddies," she said encouragingly. "It will be good for you. I'll be alright here. I was thinking about visiting Cas on Saturday anyway so you go have lunch with your buddies alright?"

Jason paused before answering. He really, really didn't want to go but he smiled down at her and said "ok".

* * *

**AN:** _I know it was a fairly short chapter but like I said, I am working on two others right now too. Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying this. I may have a sequel to this tale but I'm not sure yet...It just depends on how I feel. Questions? Concerns? R&R _


	17. Chapter 17

Jason arrived at the Youth Center Saturday morning right after Tommy.

"Hey man. Glad you could make it."

"And miss out on training a bunch of Tommy's and Jason's in training? I don't think so man. Let's get to it," Jason said with a grin.

* * *

Practice went very well for Tommy and Jason. Before they started practice, they showed the team one of their old routines. Both were pleasantly surprised that they still could move in sync like they used to in high school. Then after practice they decided to do a little one on one, just for fun. Tommy won 4 out of 7 rounds. They were neck and neck each round until Tommy landed an unsuspected roundhouse to knock Jason out of bounds.

"Great job man. I almost had you that time."

"Yeah, well if I recall, last time it was a tie. That means you need to practice some more," Tommy said with a grin.

"Actually, I recall that move only being used against me once and that was when you were the green ranger," he said in almost a whisper.

"Yeah, yeah alright. You got me. So I borrowed a couple of old moves." They both laughed and went in the back to wash up. It was almost time for Kat to meet them.

"So where's lunch?" Jason asked. "I'm starving!"

"Oh, I was thinking maybe we could go to Sonic. It's…"

"Hey bro. Sonic sounds great. I have been craving a root beer float for the longest!"

"Alright. Great…um…Jason, something's been on my mind," he said slowly.

"Yeah, what's up?" Jason asked looking slightly concerned.

"Well, when I invited you to lunch…well, you do know that I wasn't…I mean you could have brought Kimberly…I just…"

"Hey, listen…there's no need to explain. I know how things must be for you and I am sorry…"

"No, it's cool really. I just didn't want you to think that I was deliberately trying to ignore Kim. She's welcome to come along."

"Yeah, well I'm sure things would have been fine, but she won't be here. She said she had some things to do today…She's visiting her sister Cassidy today."

"Oh, alright. Well, then let's go. I called Kat and told her to meet us there."

* * *

"Kimberly! What are you doing here?" Cassidy asked sounding shocked. She wasn't expecting Kim to come by today.

"Oh, well, I just thought I'd drop in to see how things are going for you. Jase is somewhere hanging out with his buddies and I wanted to see you."

"Well, I'm not really doing anything, so yeah, I'm glad you dropped by." Kimberly sat down on the freshly cut lawn and Cassidy sat next to her.

"Soooooo, how is school young lady?" Kimberly asked jokingly.

"School is…well, school is just…well, let's just say it's been better these past few weeks."

"Really? How so? A new guy in town that you've got your eye on?" she said with a wink.

"Uh, no. Definitely not. Although he is pretty cute, but seriously I don't think he's my type…or he could be but then there's the slight age gap and…"

Kimberly burst out laughing. "Whoa, Cas, slow down. I'm quick but not that quick. Anyway, I take it that there _is_ a guy right?"

"Yeah, sort of but like I said, he's not all that important," she said quickly.

"Well, he must be somewhat important otherwise you would not have mentioned him," Kim said with a sly smile. "Oh, come on Cas. I haven't seen you in a while. You need to get me updated!"

"Uh, well, it's really…"

"HEY CAS!" Cassidy turned and saw that it was Ethan. "Oh, no…" she groaned. This was definitely not the time for Ethan to be hanging around here. "Ethan, what are you doing here? Can't you see that I'm…"

"Whoa! Sorry, but I was only dropping by to see if you wanted to go get a drink or something, but seeing as you have an attitude…" He turned and saw Kimberly sitting on the otherside of Cas. "Wow! Kimberly! It's good to see you again!" Ethan said fanatically. Kimberly just laughed.

"So are you two dating?" Kim asked curiously.

"_NO!_" they both said at the same time.

"Alright, alright. Gee, you don't have to yell…I don't know why it's such a big deal. You two are so cute together." Ethan and Cassidy looked at each other but didn't say anything. Kimberly continued to laugh until Ethan spoke up.

"So Kimberly, how are things? I saw you in the gym the other day and let me just say that I thought you were amazing!"

"Aw, thank you! It's really been awhile since I've been on a beam, but once you learn you never really forget."

"Yeah, well we all thought you were amazing," he said.

"We huh? So how many of you were actually watching me the other day?" she asked with a grin.

"Uh, well it was me, Cassidy, Dr. O…" Cassidy nudged him in the ribs. "Ouch! What was that…" He stopped talking as her angry glare pierced him like a knife.

"Who's Dr.O? Is he like, some hot teacher that you like?" she asking grinning.

"Uh…"

"Well, I guess you could say that. Of course, I'm not gay, but Dr. O is pretty fit for a guy his age…" Kimberly's eyes went wide with shock and then she let out a giggle. "What's so funny?" Ethan asked somewhat confused.

"Nothing. Cas, really, having a crush on your teacher is okay. When I was in high school, I thought our gym teacher was pretty hot."

"Cas, you didn't tell me that you had a crush on Dr. O! Whoa, that explains why you are always nagging the poor guy. I guess you would though since your sister…"

"Since I what?" Kimberly asked curiously. Ethan didn't look at Cas, for he knew that he had once again said too much. "Come on you guys, spill it. Since I what?"

"Um…since you…yeah so Ethan, you still wanna go for that drink?"

"Cassidy…"

"Um…I'm sure you'll meet Dr.O soon. Then…uh…you can see why Ethan thinks so highly of him…so yeah…"

Kimberly just shook her head and laughed. "Is daddy inside?"

"Uh, yeah. He's in there watching the football game."

"Alright. Well, I am going to go inside now and say hello. You two behave yourselves," she replied with a wink. When she had made her way into the house, Cassidy turned and glared at Ethan.

"Hey, I know what you're going to say and I am sorry…but…you have to give me some credit. At least I didn't tell her who Dr. O was."

"Yeah, but you're still an idiot."

"Aw, come on Cas. You don't mean that. Now please come get a drink with me."

"No…Ethan…"

"Pretty please," he said looking pitiful. Cassidy laughed at him. Ethan's pitiful baby face looked more like confused gorilla.

"Sure, let's go before she decides to question us again. Where are we going?"

"Sonic," he said as they drove off.

* * *

**AN: **_Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry about the updates. I know it seems that I'm getting slower and slower but it's getting close to finals, not to mention I'm trying to update my other stories as well. Anyway, I hope you all continue to read and review. Some people asked me about the Tommy/Jason/Kat situation--It's not as bad as it seems. I am sticking to the characters but you have to understand that they are no longer teenagers therefore I have tweaked their personalities, but only slightly. I hope that clears a few things up. So yes, the story is slightly AU. Anymore questions, feel free to ask._


	18. Chapter 18

When Tommy and Jason arrived at Sonic, Kat was already sitting outside waiting.

"Hey guys! About time you get here. I haven't ordered yet so let's get a move on," she said with a laugh. Tommy and Jason made their way towards Kat. Tommy sat next to Kat while Jason sat adjacent to her. All three placed their orders and started talking.

"How was practice? Did you guys have fun?"

"Oh man, it was great! Jason and I…we really got down this morning."

"Yeah, we did. Tommy and I had a match—you know—for old time's sake. This time he managed to beat me."

"Oh no," Kat said with smile.

"Yeah, Tommy's a bit quick on his feet again," Jason said with a smirk.

"Hey, that kick came out of nowhere. I didn't figure I'd actually hit it." They all started laughing as their waiter brought out their orders.

"Man, it feels so good to be around good friends again," Jason said before taking a huge bite out of his burger.

"Yeah, you're right," Tommy replied while cutting a glance towards Kat.

Kat looked up and smiled nervously and then averted her attention back to Jason. He looked so cute still with his short hair and muscular build. He was wearing red today instead of his usual black and gold. She knew that long ago he was the red ranger. She looked around and noticed that Tommy was wearing white. He also was sporting another color besides his usual red. Kat smiled to herself as she watched the two old friends. They were so alike and yet so different. She knew why she had cared for Tommy so much. He was strong and kind-hearted with dashing good looks. That was before she had met Jason. He had all of the same qualities, but Jason was more subtle than Tommy. She really couldn't explain it, but for some reason she had always been a little drawn to Jason, more so than Tommy when Jason joined the Zeo Rangers.

"Kat, is there something wrong?" Jason asked looking concerned. She looked up and her eyes met his. She blushed a little and then looked back down. Why was she freaking out?

"Kat?" Tommy asked looking concerned.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine…I was just listening to you two and you guys sound like kids," she managed to say with a slight chuckle.

"Oh, yeah well, we were always like this," Tommy said. No sooner had he spoke when he noticed Cassidy and Ethan pulling up to park.

"There's a couple of my students," he said with a smile.

"I see someone's excited to see his lovelies!" Kat said grinning.

"Um…those two together can only mean one thing—trouble. Try Rita and her Zedd," he said sarcastically.

"Oh Tommy, that bad?"

"Yeah…HEY, CASSIDY! ETHAN!" They both turned and looked with grim faces. "What's the matter?" Tommy asked.

"Uh…nothing. Um…so what's up?" Cassidy asked, looking nervous.

"Nothing. I was just saying hi to my two favorite students." Cassidy looked around and noticed that Jason and Kat were eating too.

"Oh hey! Jason!"

"Cas! How's it going?" Jason asked. He was surprised to see Cas and not Kim.

"Oh, nothing much…just out and about."

"Who's your friend?"

"Uh…"

"My name's Ethan. It's nice to meet you Jase. I've heard a lot about you."

"Ethan!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, Tommy…I mean, Dr.O and you used to kick butt in the martial arts comps."

"Yeah, you're right. We kicked major booty!" Tommy and Kat let out a laugh as Cassidy started tugging at Ethan's sleeve.

"Time to go Ethan."

"What's the rush? Oh wait. Nevermind. What time are you meeting Kim?" Jason asked curiously. "She told me that she was dropping by to see you today." Tommy looked at Cassidy as she stumbled to answer Jason.

"Oh, um…yeah she just…she's at the house talking to her dad. I've already seen her and talked to her," Cassidy said nervously. She shot Dr. O a quick glance and he too was looking at her very curiously.

"Oh, ok then. So I take it you didn't wanna hang out all day with her?" Jason asked jokingly.

"Oh, it's not that. You see Kim was giving Cas hell about crushing on Dr. O…"

"I am NOT crushing on Dr. O!"

Tommy looked at Cassidy for a moment with a bewildered look on his face. Does _she_ know?…Cassidy must have read his mind for she quickly shook her head no while shooting him a nervous look.

"Well Cas, I don't want to keep you and Ethan from your lunch date so I'll see you soon," Tommy said relieving them from his presence. Apparently Ethan had almost spilled the beans about something…wouldn't be the first time.

"Well you guys, I had a great time but I need to get back home. I got some blueprints that I have to mull over." Jason stood up and shook Tommy's hand. He was about to shake Kat's hand when she pulled him into a quick, friendly hug.

"Have a great day," she said. He looked at her and she had an odd look on her face. It was as though she did not want him to leave. Jason brushed the thought as he walked off.

When Jason left, Tommy let out a sigh. It took everything he had not to show any reaction to hearing Kim's name. Just the mention of Kim always made his heart skip. He looked at Kat who seemed to be lost in thought. He let out a sigh. He wanted to be good friends with Kat, possibly more…and yet…every time someone mentioned Kim's name, a vision of her in his arms seemed to pop up.

"Tommy?Are you alright?" Kat asked seconds later. He had apparently been lost in thought as well.

"Uh, yeah. I was just thinking about some things. Um…anyway, anything else you want to do today?"

"Uh, well actually I need to get home and work on some more cheerleading stuff. I don't want to get too rusty," she said with a laugh.

"Oh okay then." He gave her a hug before saying good-bye. He went to his car and drove off. He was kinda disappointed that Kat didn't want to hang out, especially since he had no one else to chill with. He was not tired and did not have anything else to do today. With a sigh, he made up his mind to go by the youth center.

* * *

Tommy was in the back changing when he thought he heard someone enter the youth center. The center was closed this late in the evening so whoever it was had to have a key to get in. He quickly and quietly exited the men's dressing room and went out front. He stopped short when he saw who it was. Kimberly. She was preparing to mount the balance beam. He decided to just stay in the shadows and watch her. She made a quick run at the beam before mounting perfectly. She did a series of jumps and spins before doing a few backflips. She looked as graceful as ever. Tommy made note to how her hair bounced with every turn. She did a high jump before rolling into a split. Tommy jumped for a second, for he thought she was going to fall. He smiled to himself. He should have known better. Kimberly was always daring when it came to the beam…always challenging herself. Not that she needed to. She was already perfect in his eyes. She did one last series of turns before making her big dismount. She landed perfectly. Bravo. He was about to turn and leave when he realized that there was no way out except going through the front. He let out a sigh. Might as well stay he thought to himself. After breathing for a minute he slowly started to walk towards her. The gym equipment was on the other side of the gym. He had no choice but to pass her. He walked a little further before she finally turned around. She squinted at him, for she did not recognize him at first; probably because of the hair and the fact that the lights were low. When he got closer, she started to look nervous.

"Um…hello? Who are you and how did you get in here?" she asked nervously.

"Uh…I have a key. I work here," he said slowly.

"Yeah, well what's your name?" she asked sternly. She had taken a defensive stance as though she were about to fight.

"Wow. You know, you really need to work on that stance. I thought I taught you better than that," he said coolly.

Kim's eyes got real big and she turned away. That voice…it couldn't be. She turned around and saw that it was…in fact…

"Tommy?" she asked in barely a whisper. Her face went pale as though she had seen a ghost. He came closer so that his face was visible in the pale, fluorescent light.

"Hi Kimberly," he said nervously. He watched as her face lost all color and before he could ask what was wrong, she fainted and fell back onto the mat.

* * *

**AN:** _Okay. This chapter was a little longer than some of the others. You should be happy since the updates are getting slower. Ahhhh, they finally met. Yay. Okay. I'm done now. Review. That is all. Oh and don't forget to read my other stories, if you're old enough. Bwahahaha _


	19. Chapter 19

Tommy chuckled a little to himself. For some strange reason he was expecting this kind of reaction since he had seen it once before. When he was announced as the White Ranger and the new leader of the power rangers, she fainted from the shock of it all. Tommy kneeled over her and studied her for a moment. She was beautiful and her skin was flawless. She looked as though she was only sleeping soundly. A piece of hair was in her face and he had the strongest urge to move it. He placed his hand over her face and proceeded to move the strand of golden brown hair out of the way when he accidentally brushed her cheek. Her skin was so soft and he found himself caressing her cheek. He looked around and noticed the beam next to her head. Any closer and she would have hit her head on the beam. Tommy frowned at the thought. He couldn't bear to see Kimberly hurt in any kind of way. Second later he found himself scooping Kimberly into his arms and carrying her away from the beam. He laid her down on a mat at the other end of the youth center but propped her head slightly on his right arm. He then touched her lightly near her neck in order to try and wake her.

"Kimberly?" he whispered softly. "Kim, wake up sweetie." _Did I just call her sweetie? _Kimberly started to moan a little and he stopped touching her. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled.

"Tommy?" she asked gently, looking slightly confused.

"Yes, it's me," he whispered softly. She was still gazing up at him as if lost in thought. He just smiled down at her never realizing that he was still hovering over her. She looked so beautiful and at that moment every feeling that he had spent years burying seemed to come back to him. She seemed to be having difficulty trying to decide what to do. At one point, he thought she was going to sit up but she stayed put. Her head was still lying on his free arm comfortably. Tommy began to run a finger along her cheekbone and she closed her eyes. It felt great to be able to touch her and watch her react again to his every touch. She opened her eyes suddenly and he felt his heart skip a beat. Looking into those beautiful eyes again was too much for him. In the next instant, he found himself leaning forward and brushing her lips with his. Her mouth parted slightly and he began to kiss her passionately. His head was spinning at the sensation that he knew only she could bring him. It took everything he had to pull away from her when he finally realized what was happening. _She belonged to Jason now. _When he pulled away from her she sat up and turned away from him. There was an awkward silence before either of them spoke.

"Kimberly, I…"

"Um…it was…it was good to see you. Sorry, but I have to go. This is too much for me right now," she said quickly as she stood up to leave.

"Wait, Kimberly. Are you sure you're alright? I mean, you fainted and I…I wasn't…I didn't mean…"

"No, it's ok…The shock of seeing you…I didn't think…"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…But I couldn't help it. I just…" He stopped trying to explain for he didn't know what to say. He still had feelings for her and he acted on them. He felt guilty for kissing his best friend's girlfriend but at the same time he did not. He enjoyed that kiss and it felt like old times watching Kimberly faint and right into his arms seconds later…Tommy sighed as he watched Kimberly gather her things. She was moving super fast.

"Kim…wait! Don't…don't go. You just got here. I can leave if you want. It's no big deal."

"What? Um…no, I'll…I'll go…you can just…" She dropped her keys onto the floor and then dropped her bags as well. "Shoot!" She bent over to pick up her things but she kept dropping them. She stomped her foot and sat down on the ground with her head down on her knees. Tommy ran over to see what was wrong.

"Kim? Kim, sweetheart what's wrong?" He had done it again by calling her sweetheart. She was sobbing a little but trying to hide it.

"Nothing. I just…never mind." She held her head up and wiped her eyes. Then she let out a small laugh before picking up her things.

"Kimberly, please…I'm sorry that I made this awkward for you," he said pleadingly. "Please don't be upset with me. It was never my intention to hurt you or make you cry."

"I don't know why…It's not supposed to be awkward anymore. I mean, why should it? We're both…both adults now and we've both moved on with our lives. I…I'm sorry for making such a fuss…"

"Kimberly stop. It sounds like you're trying to convince yourself that…"

"Convince myself of what Tommy? That everything is ok?" she said hotly. She turned away from him for a moment and let out a sigh. "Tommy, I'm sorry. It's just…I knew you were in town but I never thought that in a million years I'd run into you and it would be like this. In fact, I had convinced myself that you would have no effect on me what so ever. Boy was I ever…" She stopped talking as her voice started to crack. Tommy walked towards her and took her hand into his.

"This is…is awkward for me too." He looked down and noticed the diamond engagement ring on her finger. He placed his finger on it and she immediately jerked her hand away from his.

"Tommy, I have to go. I'm not…in the mood to work out anymore." And with that she ran out of the youth center leaving Tommy there looking confused and hurt.

* * *

**AN:** _I hope this chapter wasn't too detailed. I am trying my hardest **not** to make this a mature rated story since all of my other ones are. It's really hard when you are a said expert at writing adult styled romances. If it was too much, **PLEASE** let me know so that my story doesn't get the boot. Anyway, I am trying my best to update a lot but there will be times when I can't update as fast. Dial up sucks and that's all I have at home. When the fall semester starts, I'll have little time for writing except for on the weekends. I will try to have this one finished before my short break from school but if not, just read my other stories in the meantime._


	20. Chapter 20

_What just happened?_ Tommy stood there and watched as Kimberly ran out leaving him at his thoughts. Why did this have to happen? Why did he have to kiss her? Tommy started pacing the center lost in thought. There was no doubt anymore that he still cared for Kimberly. In fact, it was possible that he still loved her. He let out a sigh. What was next for them? He was sure that he'd run into her again soon but what would happen? Would she completely ignore him or would she act natural? _Jason_.

Tommy groaned as he punched a punching bag hard. Why did she have to belong to Jason? Anybody else and he wouldn't think twice about trying to get her back. Tommy continued to punch the punching bag until he exhausted himself. His thoughts seemed to keep lingering at that kiss. She was so beautiful lying there in his arms. She looked so helpless and vulnerable like she used to long ago. He could remember all the times when he would have to carry her in his arms because she was hurt or tired. He could also remember how they used to watch movies and how she would sometimes fall asleep. He would carry her to bed, tuck her in, and then kiss her softly, leaving her a sweet note or a rose behind. When he kissed her tonight, it was out of habit…maybe. He couldn't help himself and now…what was next? Then there was Kat. He had spent the past few days hanging out with her and it felt great. Now that he had seen Kimberly it was now obvious to him that a relationship with Kat would be difficult…And yet…Kimberly was now engaged. There's just no way they could ever be together. Tommy grabbed his keys and started to lock up. Monday was going to be a long day he thought.

* * *

Kimberly entered her home quietly and tossed her keys on the counter. Jason was not home yet and that was a small relief to Kimberly, who was not really in the mood to talk to him right now. Kimberly sat down on the recliner and started to let her mind wonder. Tommy. She had seen the last person that she wanted to see. Not that she hated him or anything. If anything, he should hate her for dumping him some years ago, yet it would seem as if he did not hate her. In fact, judging from the look he had on his face, it was quite possible that he was…that he still cared for her. Why did tonight have to happen? She had seen Tommy but had not recognized him. Her first thought was to resume a fighting stance. Even though she was no longer a power ranger, she still had some knowledge of how to fight thanks to Jason and Tommy. When he spoke, she realized that it was non other than Tommy. After that everything went blank.

"I can't believe I fainted…again," she said out loud.

When she came to, she saw Tommy leaning over her, looking as gorgeous as ever. He looked so concerned and she didn't know what to do. He caressed her face and it sent a shock through her body that she hadn't felt in ages. Seconds later they were kissing as though they were couple again…and it felt great. She didn't want it to stop. Her head was spinning and she was lost in his kiss…and in his touch. Kimberly frowned and stood up. _I can't think like this._ She went over to the sink and fixed herself a glass of water just as Jason came through the door. She dropped her glass in the sink and quickly turned around.

"Hi sweetie, you're home early. I thought you were going to work out at the gym?"

"Uh…yeah, I was but…I didn't…I wanted to work alone but someone else was there," she said quickly. Jason walked up to her and put his arms around her. She sighed and returned the hug. Jason looked and saw that she looked hurt about something.

"Kim, are you alright? You seem down about something."

"Uh…yeah, I'm fine. I'm just…a little tired. Um…honey, I'm gonna go get a shower okay." She kissed him on the lips and headed upstairs. _Why isn't my head spinning?_

Jason stood in the kitchen and smiled to himself before turning to the sink. He just remembered Kim's reaction as he came through the door. She had jumped. He wondered what had made her so nervous but she brushed it off. At least she wasn't…Kat. He went into the living room and sat on the sofa. He still couldn't get Kat out of his head. He watched her and Tommy today during lunch. It seemed as though they were a pair. He couldn't blame him. Kat was just as pretty as Kim and so it made perfect sense for the two to get together. Why am I so jealous then? During the lunch, all he could think about was how much he wanted to hold Kat…smell her hair…hold her hand…How nice her hair looked…Jason sighed as he flipped through the channels. His thoughts reverberated back to Kimberly, his wife to be.

"Yeah, my wife."

* * *

**AN:** _Sorry guys. I know this was a short chapter but I needed a good stopping point. I am working on something else right now so I'll only work on this one as time permits. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. I may...**MAY**__--making no promises, but there may be a sequel to this story. _**IF**_ I decide to do it, it will be romance, but it will mostly be action. (Save the world kind of thing.) Meh, we'll see. Happy reading! _


	21. Chapter 21

"Okay. That's all for today class." Tommy released his class a few minutes early Monday morning. There was a pep rally being held there and he wanted to get a good seat.

"Uh…Dr. O, are you going to the pep rally?"

"Yeah, I think I am Ethan. I can't wait to see how good the new cheerleaders are."

"Uh…yeah, me too but what I'm really interested in is the new coaches. I hear they're both smokin' hot!"

"Uh…sure Ethan."

"You think I got a chance with Kimberly?" he asked jokingly.

"Um…I don't think so. She's engaged so I'm sure she's more interested in her husband to be."

"That's not what I hear," Ethan said under his breath as they both were walking out of the classroom.

"What did you say?" Tommy asked curiously.

"Uh…well…nothing. Never mind. Uh…so the pep rally…"

"You're not worming your way out of this one so spit it out."

"Uh…well, Cas told me some…stuff…but it's nothing really…"

"Like what?"

"Uh…well, Kimberly broke down and told Cas about…that kiss…" Tommy's face went pale and his stomach did a back flip.

"Cas…knows…how did you find out…?"

"Cas and I are closer than you think," he said with a wink.

"Ethan, listen, it wasn't what it…"

"It's okay Dr.O. I got your back. I know how it is…long lost loves showing up out of nowhere…old feelings resurface…"

"Ethan!"

"Sorry Dr.O, but I have to wonder what she's feeling. I know you still love her. It was written all over your face the day you found out that she was coming to town…It's just…this is weird!"

"What's weird?"

"Love triangles!" Ethan said excitedly.

"Give it a rest…and Ethan, please don't…"

"You have my word doc...I won't spill your little secret. Uh…don't look now but um…" Tommy turned to look and saw both Kimberly and Kat walking up the hall towards him. They did not see him, for they were both deep in conversation. Tommy quickly turned and put the key in the door, trying his best to quickly get back inside the classroom.

"Ethan! How are you?" Kimberly asked, running up to him and throwing her arms around him.

"I'm great! Hi Kat! I can't wait til the pep rally!"

"Yeah, we are so excited!" Kimberly exclaimed. Tommy finally was able to get the door unlocked but it was too late.

"Uh…Tommy?" Tommy turned and looked Kat in the eye.

"Hey…Kat. How are you?" He tried his very best not to look at Kim but he couldn't just _not_ speak to her.

"I'm good. It's good to see you again."

"Likewise. Uh…Kimberly." He nodded his head towards her.

"Yeah, same here," she replied quickly. "Uh, well we got to go and get ready so uh…see you around."

"Later Tommy." Kat said and followed Kimberly up the hall.

"I have to say that this was the most awkward situation that I've ever been in," Ethan said releasing a sigh after they left.

"Yeah well, you better get used to it. It's going to be this way as long as Kim…" He stopped himself before he could say too much.

"Yeah, Kim did seem a bit nervous. I wonder if Kat noticed."

"I hope not," Tommy replied softly as he and Ethan headed off towards the youth center.

* * *

------------------------------------

"Kim, are you alright?" Kat asked once they got up the hall.

"Uh…yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just nervous that's all."

"It's not like you to be so nervous."

"Things change."

"Or do they?" Kimberly let out a sigh as they made their way out the door and across the parking lot to the youth center. "I hear Tommy's going to be at the pep rally." Kim's face went pale but she kept walking without saying anything. "Kim…"

"Kat, I don't want to talk about Tommy anymore alright?"

"I know it's hard for you…seeing him again but if it's…if it's that hard then maybe you need to…to talk to him before you do something you may regret in the future."

"Meaning…?"

"You're engaged to Jason but you're still in love with Tommy. That has disaster written all over it if you decide to marry Jason without sorting out your feelings."

"No matter now…Aren't you two a couple now?" Kim asked hotly.

"No…actually we're not. We're just…we tried but…it seems that the sparks aren't there anymore. We haven't said anything about it but…It's somewhat been mutual."

"I understand that you want to help Kat, but I…I can't…It's too weird and I'm not sure how I feel about Tommy. And besides, I can't hurt Jason. He's been there for me for so long and he's just…he's a great guy and…"

"And if you care about him then you'd be honest with him," Kat added before they headed inside for the pep rally.

* * *

-------------------------------------------------------------

* * *

Tommy and Ethan made their way inside the youth center and was happy to be able to sit up front.

"Thanks for saving us seats Cas," Ethan said while leaning in to place a peck on her cheek.

"Uh…sure," she replied as her face flushed a rosy pink. "Besides, I wasn't going to miss this for the world."

Kim and Kat took their places on the mat and were followed by their cheerleaders.

"ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!" And so the pep rally began with a dance that had been choreographed by Katherine. Then they followed up the dance with a cheer routine that Kimberly had come up with. It was amazing. They girls made little or no mistakes and the crowd was lovin it.

"Hey guys. Sorry I'm late but I had to go get some flowers." Tommy turned and gave Jason a small handshake.

"Glad you could make it bro."

"How are they?"

"One word—amazing!"

"Yeah, I figured they would be. Those two together? The competition better run and hide!" The crowd erupted into a roar as the cheerleaders ended their competition routine.

"Alright you guys, make sure you show your support for the ladies next week! The first competition will be held in the school gym so come out and cheer them on!" Kat yelled into the mic. The crowd cheered once more as the pep rally came to an end.

"This ought to be interesting," Ethan whispered to Tommy.

"What do you mean?" he whispered back.

"Uh…" He was cut off by Jason.

"Let's go congratulate them," he said helping Tommy up.

"Uh…yeah, okay," he said nervously.

Kim and Kat hugged each other after the rally.

"Oh my gosh! We rock!" Kimberly said excitedly.

"Yeah, we do and look who's here to congratulate us." Kim turned around to see Tommy and Jason walking forward. Kim's face immediately lost some color and she was about to turn away but Kat made her stay.

"At least stay for Jason," Kat whispered in her ear. Jason walked over and thre his arms around her.

"Roses for a successful first pep rally," he said smiling.

"Uh…thanks…thanks sweetie," she replied quickly, taking a whiff of the roses. Tommy reached a hand out to Kat.

"Congrats girl. You all did a great job with the cheerleaders."

"Thanks Tommy, but it was mostly Kim." Kim looked up and Tommy reached out and touched her shoulder.

"Then good job to Kimberly," he said.

"Thanks," she said quickly. Kim stood there pretending to be interested in her new roses. She was but not so much. Her stomace felt weak and she felt as though she wanted to puke. She felt so guilty standing there in front of Jason. He had just got her roses yet she was chancing glances at Tommy. He was wearing a white Tee and some green pants. His broad chest and shoulders were a sight to see and she could feel his eyes on her.

"Uh…so what's everyone doing this afternoon?" Kat asked.

"Uh…well, I'm not sure…I have some blueprints I need to deal with but if Kim has something in mind…"

"Uh…you can do that. I need to…uh…"

"Go with me to pick out a dress for the dance."

"Dance?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, all faculty and staff are required to attend. That means you too Tommy and if Jason's been helping you out then he should come too," Kat added jokingly.

"Somehow it must have slipped my mind," Tommy said. "So when's the dance?"

"It's tomorrow night at 8pm." Tommy shifted nervously as Kim raised her head in agreement.

"So I guess Tommy and I need to go do some shopping then," Jason said with a smile. "You game?"

"Oh yeah man, we can go now if you want. I have nothing to do except grade a few papers but I think I'd rather go shopping."

"Aright then. Well ladies, have a wonderful day and Kim, I'll see you when I get home tonight."

"Huh? Oh yeah, have fun." Both guys turned and left. Kim let out a sigh and sat down on the mat.

"Kim, you see what I mean? You need to talk to him. He was just as nervous as you."

"It's not…it can't be that obvious. You're making a bigger deal out of this than it really is."

"I bet you if he kissed you…" Kimberly quickly stood up and started grabbing her things.

"Let's go. I need some air…uh…I need to go shopping…" Kat reluctantly followed Kimberly out of the youth center. _I need to talk with Jason…I need to know how he feels about Kimberly._

* * *

**AN: **_I apologize for making you wait so long. I am at home and dial up really REALLY sucks! I hope you enjoy these last three chapters. I had never written fanfiction before and this has been my most popular fanfic thanks to all of you who read and reviewed._


	22. Chapter 22

Tommy and Jason arrived at the mall and headed straight for Men's Fit store to find something to wear to the dance. They walked around in silence for a few until Jason broke the awkward silence.

"Yo, Tommy…I want to…ask you something?"

"Sure man. What's up?" Jason hesitated before asking. "Hey man, you can talk to me about anything."

"Okay, so do you still have feelings for Kimberly?" Tommy dropped the shirt that he was holding and then picked it up nervously. "That says it all."

"Look Jase, I'm not…I'm not going after Kimberly, if that's what you're thinking," he replied while nervously trying to put the shirt back on the rack.

"No, I know you would never do anything to _intentionally_ get Kim's attention but in case you haven't noticed, she's nervous around you which could only mean that she has feelings for you as well."

"Well, you have my word that I will not interfere with your wedding plans or anything else for that matter. I just…I saw her at the gym the other night and…"

"I figured as such. She came home early and was acting…funny," he said with a laugh. Tommy didn't say anything. He was still staring at the floor.

"Hey man, don't beat yourself up about it. It's not the end of the world. There's no crime that says you can't love someone."

"I just…Jason, I can't imagine…"

"Look Tommy, it's not a big deal. I'm kind of…glad that this has happened."

"What? Why?" he asked looking at his friend curiously. Why would anyone be happy to hear that his would be wife was lusting after someone else?

"Well, if Kimberly and I would have entered into marriage without knowing for sure about…certain things then our marriage never would have lasted."

"I know you aren't planning on canceling the wedding? I don't want to be the cause of…"

"Honestly, we haven't even sat down and discussed the wedding since we've been engaged. We've both been so busy with work and trying to make our relationship work that we've forgotten all about it…sort of."

"But Jason, how do _you_ feel about Kimberly? I mean, you have to love her to be engaged to her."

"I _do_ love her Tommy, but…it's not the same as you. The chemistry…it was there at one point but things have changed. Plus…," he sighed before continuing, "I have always had feelings for another but I never got the chance to tell her. At the time, she was in another relationship with a really close friend of mine," he finished looking down at the floor. Tommy paused for a minute and then it dawned on him who Jason was talking about.

"Oh…oh, Jason, man I am so…"

"Again Tommy, it wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, but when she and I were together…I can't really explain the relationship. We were together and I cared for her and I thought that if we were together long enough that I might fall for her the way I did for Kimberly but…it just…I also think she was longing for someone else but at the time I couldn't…" Jason placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"We were young Tommy, but now…now things are different. We have the choice now whether or not to make things right."

"Jason, I do love her. It's like I've never stopped loving her but what about you?"

"Me…well, I'm going to be just fine. You've lifted a huge weight off of my shoulder. I can honestly breath easily now. But now…now we need to figure out how to get Kim to admit her feelings for you. She's stubborn and so she'll never do it as long as she figures that I'll get hurt," Jason said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, you're right but I can't just walk up to her and pour my soul out to her! That might scare her away." Jason stood there silent for a moment and then it hit him.

"Hey…I have…It's brilliant!"

"What do you have in mind?" Tommy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, for starters, I think we need to find some cool outfits for the dance. I'll explain every thing later," he said with a grin.

* * *

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * *

Kat was glad to be back from the shopping trip with Kim. The whole while they were at the mall, they both shopped in an awkward silence. The only good thing about the shopping trip was that they both got beautiful pink dresses at great prices. Kat sighed as she paced around the youth center. Jason was supposed to meet her in a few to talk. She was starting to sweat a little. The anticipation of seeing Jason was a little overwhelming. For starters, she had a huge crush on him but she felt kind of bad for pushing Kimberly away from her fiancé. Kimberly had all the signs that she was still in love with Tommy, but what if she was wrong? What if Kimberly was just…?

"Hey Kat!" Kat turned around and saw Jason coming towards her. He was looking great as usual. He was wearing some jeans and a tight fitting red Tee that highlighted his huge, muscular arms.

"Hey…I'm…I hope this isn't a bad time," she said with a wince.

"Um…no actually, Tommy and I just got through shopping."

"Wow. You guys were serious about looking good huh?"

"Yeah, we were but it's all in good fun. Neither of us have been to a dance in years," he said with a laugh. "But what do you want to talk about?"

"Well…" she sighed, "I wanted to talk about Kimberly…and about Tommy."

"Oh?"

"Well, it's just…I'm trying to be a good friend here without being…without…I don't know how to say this," she said walking away frustrated. Jason grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards him.

"You mean to say that you've noticed some awkwardness between Tommy and Kimberly. You wanted to get the facts without ruining some friendships," he said with a chuckle.

"Uh…yeah, something like that."

"Well, thank you for being a good friend," he said softly. "Truth is, Tommy and I have already talked and he admitted to still having some feelings for Kim."

"What? Really?!"

"Yep," he grinned. "I already knew it but I needed to hear it from him and now my mind is at ease."

"At ease? What are you going to do? I mean, I just…I'm not trying to…but it's weird…"

"Kat…"

"Kimberly…well, I'm sure she loves you but…It's the weirdest thing…"

"Kat…"

"Jason…I'm so sorry for dragging you all the way out here to tell you something you already knew and I…" Jason cut Kat off by pulling her close and placing his lips on hers, kissing her passionately. He pulled away, but only for a second. She was dazed and he used the moment to plant another soft kiss on her lips. When he finally broke away, he broke the awkward silence.

"Kat, I'm sorry but you were rambling nervously and I couldn't think of a nice way to shut you up," he said grinning.

"Uh…well, that's…certainly a nice way to do it," she said.

"Actually, I've wanted to do that ever since that day we all had lunch together. I just…there's just no way I can be upset with Tommy when I am doing the exact same thing."

"What are we going to do?" she whispered softly. Jason pulled her into a warm embrace then whispered in her ear.

"What do _you_ want to do?"

"I…I don't know." She was now crying softly and Jason just held her close.

"I know that I care about you…a lot Kat. I've cared about you ever since the day I laid eyes on you but never had the guts to tell you. So I'm telling you now. You don't have to oblige. I'm just…I'm glad I was able to admit how I really feel."

"I care about you too Jason…I just…I could never betray Kimberly. I tried to kill her once…the least I can do is…"

"I'm going to break it off with Kimberly," he whispered. Kat pulled away and stared at him wide-eyed.

"What? You can't do that to her! She…"

"She needs to admit how she really feels about Tommy. He's already admitted his feelings. We just need to get her to do the same."

"But…how can we do that? I mean, this feels so…"

"I know and I'll admit it does seem a little underhanded but all it takes is one kiss."

"Well…I guess…but…" Jason pulled her into another kiss, this time kissing her deeper and more passionately than before. Kat's head was spinning and she never wanted it to end but just as quickly, Jason pulled away.

"How do you feel?" he asked softly.

"You…you got me," she admitted.

"Alright then. So here's what Tommy and I discussed…"

* * *

**AN:** _We're almost there...I hope you enjoyed this chapter. _


	23. Chapter 23

"Cassidy, come on! We are going to be late!"

"Shut up Ethan. You know I have to look stunning. It's one of the biggest dances we'll have all year. Not to mention the show we're going to get…"

"Huh? Am I missing something?"

"Uh…nothing. Let's go. How do I look?"

"Stunning. So what are you keeping from me?"

"Huh? Keeping from you? Oh…Oh, yeah…that. I can't tell you."

"What? Why not?"

"Because based on your track record you just can't seem to keep your big mouth shut."

"And _this_ coming from a reporter? Fine then. Let's get going."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------

"Wow. Kimberly…you look amazing!"

"Thanks hun. I wasn't going to get this dress at first but Kat seemed to think it would suit me." _And Kat has great taste._ Jason smiled to himself.

"Well you look beautiful," he said planting a kiss on her cheek.

"And so do you. I think pink and gold go great together don't you?" she asked teasingly.

"Yes, although I'm starting to think white would have been better but it's too late now." Kim smiled as she started fixing Jason's tie. She had never seen Jason in white before and was starting to wonder whether or not it would suit him. He was always wearing red or gold, mainly out of habit. But over time, she realized that red and gold suited Jason. _White. Tommy._

"Hey. Are you alright?"

"Uh…yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about Kat. I need to thank her for picking out such a lovely dress," she said nervously.

"Oh well you'll get the chance. I'm sure Tommy can leave her side for a few minutes without going crazy," he said jokingly.

"Well, you're all set. I think we better get going. We're already a few minutes late but that's ok. I never once showed up for a dance on time."

"It will definitely be a night to remember."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------

Tommy and Kat sat down at one of the small round tables looking around nervously. They had not seen any signs of Kimberly or Jason and the longer they waited, the more nervous they got. Tommy chanced a glance at Kat and she was staring at the stage of the youth center. She looked more nervous than usual.

"Hey, Kat…are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm…I'm fine. I'm just…My stomach is in knots right now."

"Yeah, I know the feeling. I just hope…"

"We're going to be alright Tommy," she replied softly, touching the back of his hand. "Everything that's happened…our friendship is stronger than that. Even if…I'm sure everything will work out for the best."

"I sure hope you're right."

"Have a little faith," she said with a smile. Seconds later they looked and saw Jason and Kimberly walk in. They were holding hands as they started greeting teachers and students. Tommy's face went pale as he set eyes on the woman he loved. She was wearing a pink dress, very much like the one Kat was wearing except it was a halter type dress. There were sequins around the halter and down around the edges of her dress. There was also a slit on the right side, just showing a hint of her beautiful legs. Her hair was pinned up nicely with a piece hanging on the left side of her face.

Kimberly chatted with the last of her cheerleaders before looking up and meeting Tommy's gaze. He was staring right at her and she could not move. His gaze had paralyzed her it seemed, and she found herself blushing. He was dressed in some white dress pants and white shoes. He had on a white dressy shirt that was covered by a lime green vest with a matching tie. He looked so handsome.

"Care to dance?" Her thoughts were broken up by Jason asking her to dance.

"Uh…yes. Please, let's dance." Jason grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor past the table where Tommy was seated. She did not look at Tommy as she past by but she could feel his gaze on her body. _Oh, Tommy…not now… _Jason put his arms around her waist and soon they were dancing the night away.

"Looks like Tommy and Kat have decided to join us on the dance floor. About time," he said with a laugh.

Kim turned her head to see Kat's head resting on Tommy's chest as he held her. He was running his fingers through her hair as they moved in slow motion. Kim's faced started to burn with anger. She wanted nothing more than to be where Kat was at that very moment but it would not be possible, for she was promised to someone else. She let a tear drop and placed her head on Jason's chest.

Jason drew Kim close but not before he saw the tear run down her cheek. It was now crystal clear that where she wanted to be was not there with him. He smiled to himself. He was kind of sad that things were the way they were but at the same time he could feel Tommy's pain as well. He glanced over to see Tommy looking pale. _I hope Cassidy gets the job done…_

* * *

"Cassidy, since when have the faculty ever had a king and queen of the La Plaza?"

"Well principal Randall, I uh…I have noticed these past few years…"

"Don't you mean past two years?" she replied curtly.

"Uh…yeah, but I've noticed that some of the faculty and staff have great taste in fashion, even though they are old."

"Old?"

"Uh…what she meant is that they are older."

"Ethan, I have no idea what you and Miss Cassidy are up to but I'm watching you," she said curtly before marching off.

"Cas, what are we…?"

"Okay, so we have to get people to vote for their favorite faculty members."

"Yeah, but why?"

"It's…for a good cause."

"Yeah, but look around. How many of the faculty do you see that actually look half way decent? Let's start with Randall; she's got on all black looking a mess. Her dress is _so_ long and pointed. She looks like Elvira!"

"Ethan that was rude."

"Yeah, but you know it's the truth."

"Yeah, but…not all the faculty looks a mess. Just look at Dr. Oliver…Wow…"

"What?"

"He and Catherine sure look cozy," she said with a worried look on her face.

"Yeah…they do. Dr. O is dressed to impress, though that's not the point. But then look at Jason and Kim…There's something odd…It doesn't feel right."

"Yeah, so we need to get campaigning."

"What do you mean?"

"Hello?! Are you not paying attention? You need to go and get people to vote for their favorite faculty member…_your_ favorite faculty member?!?!" Ethan looked confused and before he could protest Cassidy cut him off.

"Just point him…or her out to some of your friends," she said earnestly. "It's important that you take this seriously. If not, then something…things won't go according to plan."

"Yeah, but what's the…"

"Just do it…for me," she said before planting a gentle kiss on his lips. "Now go."

"Uh…yes, maam," he said quickly before leaving to track down some friends.

* * *

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * *

_It's almost time…_

"Alright students. It's time to announce this year's kings and queens of the La Plaza." There was a loud applause from the students as Cassidy handed Principal Randall the envelope.

"Okay. So this year's king and queen of Angel Grove high are…CASSIDY AND ETHAN!"

"WHAT?!?!" Ethan smiled as Cassidy pretended to look shocked. There was no doubt that she'd get queen. She gracefully made her way to the stage and Principal Randall crowned her and then Ethan.

"Now you two don't go too far. The special dance is coming right up. Okay…let's see…we are doing something a bit different this year. One of our very own school journalist suggested that we hand out a crown for king and queen amongst the faculty. So I'll get right to it. Angel Grove high, you voted for the first ever king and queen to be…well, now this was very unexpected…DR. TOMMY OLIVER AND KIMBERLY HART!" Tommy shot a quick look at Kat who motioned him to go forward. Kimberly's face went pale and she stayed rooted in one spot.

"You won! Congrats sweetie!" Jason pulled Kim into a hug before giving her a nudge forward. She walked on stage and noticed that Tommy was looking down at the floor and that Cassidy was pale and nervous as though she was guilty about something. Principal Randall placed a crown on Tommy's head and then on Kimberly's. There was another loud applause from the crowd.

"Alright. Clear the floor for the royalty." Kimberly turned her attention to Cassidy.

"Cas, I can't do this," she whispered softly. "I can't…It's already weird enough and I just…"

"But you have to. You don't want the students to feel bad. Besides, it's not that…Just one little dance. What harm can it do?" _Easy for you to say._ Kim sighed and made her way to the dance floor. Tommy looked up as she approached and he looked about as nervous as she was. She stopped a few feet in front of him with her head down.

"Kim?" he whispered. "We…we don't have to do this if you're not…"

Kim walked forward and took his hand slowly looking up at him. She had a look of pure sadness that she could no longer hide. Tommy's heart went out to her and he immediately pulled her closer in order to comfort her. She laid her head on his chest and his heart felt like it would explode. Tommy looked up at Kat and saw that she was crying. What do I do he thought. His question was answered when Jason caught his eye. Jason nodded at him as he placed a reassuring arm around Kat. Tommy started running his fingers through Kim's hair as she weeped.

"Kimberly, everything is going to be alright," he whispered in her ear. Kimberly looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"You don't understand. Everything is wrong. This was not supposed to happen," she cried.

"What wasn't supposed to happen?"

"I…I don't know…It wasn't supposed to be this hard!" she cried. She didn't even notice that Cassidy and Ethan had stopped dancing. Everyone in the building were now watching and listening.

"What? You mean marrying Jason?" She looked at him with a cold look.

"Don't go there alright. He and I are engaged and we're going to be married soon."

"Oh, really? So when's the wedding date?" he asked. She paused for a minute and let out a breath.

"We haven't set a date yet," she said softly.

"Oh I see. So you've been engaged almost a year now and still no date. I wonder what the hold up is. Is something holding you back?"

"That's not fair Tommy. You know that we've been busy and just haven't had the time…"

"How many more excuses Kim…"

"Excuses?!? What excuses? I'm not making excuses. I'm just…"

"Just what? Not ready?"

"I never said I wasn't ready…"

"Then why? Tell me why you haven't set a date yet!"

"Tommy…"

"Tell me!" he said, raising his voice a little louder.

"BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE SURE!" she cried, tears now steadily falling down her face.

"Sure of what Kimberly?" he pushed.

"Sure that I…that I wasn't making a mistake by marrying the wrong guy."

"But you love Jason…"

"I know! Tommy why are you doing this? Why are you hurting me like this?" she cried.

"Because I want you to be honest with yourself."

"What are you…?" she asked, her faced twisted in confusion. Tommy grabbed her hands and stared down at her. She was still crying but was looking back, determined to be strong.

"I love you Kimberly." She didn't say anything. She only stared at him with her mouth slightly open with shock. "I love you Kimberly, I always have and always will. I want you to come back to me," he said softly. She turned away from him because at that moment she could not bear to look at him. She was so confused and didn't know what to do.

"Kimberly?" She looked up and saw Cassidy staring back at her. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying as well. Kimberly threw her arms around her sister.

"Cas, what do I do?" she cried. "Tell me what to do. I'm so confused and I don't want to hurt anybody."

"You don't have to sis. But you also can't base your choices on doing what you think is the right thing all the time. Sometimes, doing what's right may not be the easy way out."

"I don't…"

"I mean follow your heart. I know you love Jason and he loves you, but is he the one you _truly_ want to spend the rest of your life with?"

Kim pulled away and looked around for Jason. She spotted him standing next to Kat, his eyes slightly swollen. She walked towards him and pulled him into a hug.

"Jason…"

"I know," he whispered.

"But…"

"I've known for quite a while now."

"About me?"

"About the both of you…being in love," he said slowly.

"But Jason, you have to believe me when I say that I did not plan this. I had every intention of marrying you."

"I know. So did I, but things happen…maybe for the best." Kimberly sighed and chanced a glance towards Tommy. He was now sitting at a table with Ethan. His head was down and he looked stressed.

"You should go to him. He had the guts to admit to me how he felt about you and I was willing to let you go. Don't let all the trouble he went through be in vain." Kimberly looked up at him in amazement and wonder. Jason just smiled and nodded his head. Kimberly gave him a peck on the cheek before running towards Tommy's table.

------------------------

"Dr. O?"

"What Ethan? Now is not the time…"

----------------

"Tommy?" Tommy stood up immediately and met Kimberly's gaze. "I just had a talk with Cassidy…and Jason. We…I mean…they told me to follow my heart." She sighed and looked down at the floor, but Tommy lifted her chin with his hand forcing her to look into his eyes.

"I meant what I said Kimberly. I love you and it will just break my heart to lose you again."

"You're not going to lose me again Tommy…and I don't want to lose you. I just…I can't see how you could forgive me after everything that's happened between us all these years."

"Kim…"

"I mean, I left you for someone else and I thought I was following my heart but I guess I was wrong. I'll understand if you can't forgive me but…"

"I forgave you the moment I kissed you."

"Tommy…" He grabbed her and covered her mouth with his, kissing her passionately. He pulled away for a second and saw that she was smiling. He smiled back before kissing her once more. The kiss was broken by a loud applause from the crowd and Kimberly just laughed.

"Now aren't you forgetting something?" a voice boomed from the speaker system. Tommy turned to see Ethan holding a microphone walking in his direction.

"What is he talking about?" Kim asked curiously. Tommy smiled and took the microphone out of Ethan's hand. He turned and looked at Kim and got down on one knee.

"Kimberly, I love you so much. I don't think it's possible for me to love you anymore than I already do, but I'd love to spend the rest of my life trying to find out." Kimberly's face went pale as Tommy continued to speak. He took her right hand into his.

"Kimberly Anne Hart, will you be my wife? Will you marry me and let me love you for the rest of your life?"

Kimberly looked at Cassidy who was baling on Ethan's shoulder and then she chanced a glance at Jason who smiled and nodded in approval. She clasped her hand over her mouth and turned away from Tommy.

"Kimberly?" he said nervously. "Kimberly, please I…" She quickly turned around and smiled at him.

"I wasn't going to make it that easy for you. Remember when you first asked me out? You should know me by now _Dr._ Oliver," she said teasingly.

"So does that mean…"

"Of course I'll marry you, my prince, my rescuer." She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips to a loud roar from the crowd.

"It feels good to hear you call me that once again princess."

"It's good to have my prince back. Let's just hope you don't have to rescue me anytime soon," she said with a grin.

"Congratulations Dr. Oliver." Tommy and Kimberly both turned to see a man walking towards them. Tommy's face twisted in confusion.

"Antwon?"

"Yep, it's me. In the flesh," he said with a laugh. "My son and I just moved to town. I own a few things in this area now and so I've decided to relocate. I hear Angel Grove is a pretty decent place. Plus my son Trent was very persuasive as well."

"Uh…well, that's…that's great. It's good to see you."

"Yeah, well maybe we can do lunch sometime. We have some catching up to do." Tommy nodded curtly as Antwon walked off.

"Hey Dr. O, are you friends with Mercer?" Ethan asked excitedly.

"Uh…I guess you can say that," he said distantly. He had not seen Mercer in almost a year. In fact, he had assumed that he was dead after a lab incident.

"Sweetie, are you alright? You looked worried about something."

"No, I'm fine princess. Now will you care to join me in another dance, you know, for old times' sake?"

"I'd love to," she said with a smile.

**The End**

* * *

**AN: **_Ok. May not be what you expected, but I wanted a happy ending. I hope you enjoyed it. I know some of you may have found it cheesy but If a guy did me that way, I'd so be smitten! Let's see...The reason I brought Antwon Mercer (Power Rangers Dino Thunder for those who may not know) is because I MAY do a sequel if I get some extra free time. Any questions, concerns...you know the drill. Review! Special thanks to all who read it. This particular story has had almost 8,000 hits! Yay! Quite an accomplishment for a first story! Thanks again and happy reading!  
_


End file.
